Day Thirty-Seven: Illness & Injury

Three weeks ago, my daughter was diagnosed with pneumonia. On Monday, my son was diagnosed with pneumonia. On Wednesday night, I began running a fever. Luckily, I don't have pneumonia. However, we've run our fair share of breathing treatments through the Cade clan as of late.

Illness & injury happen. We will eat well & workout all of the time, but at one point or another, the bug is going to bite. How do we handle it when that occurs? I have a different strategy for each.

When I'm ill, I feel as if my body is purposefully trying to stop me in my tracks. It seems to me that the fever, achiness, chills, or vomiting are meant to make me stay stationary and not worry about the rest of the world for a little while. I take care of the few responsibilities that only I can, but I pretty much shoulder everything else onto someone else...just like anyone else who's experiencing sickness. It can be a drag for us, and it can be an even bigger drag for those around us. I usually do not try and make up the days I lost due to illness, they're just gone. On my normal days off, if I'm feeling like I need a workout, I'll try to do something light. It's important that we listen to our body.

Injury is another story. Sometimes, we've got a debilitating injury that puts us out of commission for awhile. However, often we can change our exercises and still elevate our heart rate by just doing something different. For example, if you've gotten a running injury, you can begin swimming or yoga. Both will get your heart rate up, improve your flexibility, & increase your circulation. This can actually speed up the time it takes for your recovery because more blood is being pumped to the area when you get your heart rate up.

Do: Rest when you're feeling ill. When you're experiencing injury, figure out if changing your exercise will work. I always find massage to help with an injury, & you may want to try this as well.