10. How to Workout Safe with Fatigue and Exhaustion

Working out was an important part of my recovery. I ran, biked, weight trained, danced, skied and did Pilates.

When I got burnt out, not working out was not an option.  Being outdoors and working out is a big part of who I am. I have worked as a group training instructor and personal trainer for 15 years. I moved to the mountains to be able to ski and bike more.

But finding the balance of working out with fatigue wasn’t that easy.  In the beginning, I pushed myself a bit too hard, before I got the hang of it. In this episode I’m going to talk about working out as exhausted. How to do it without pushing yourself to hard but not be afraid of it either.

 

Key takeaways

1.  Don't be afraid of working out or move while exhausted and fatigued. Your body will tell you when to stop.
2. Don't pressure yourself. Pressure stresses the brain. High demands on training, weather it's to accomplish something, to look a certain way or to be healthy, stresses the brain.
3. There is a difference between working out to get better at something or move just for the fun of it. Go for the fun of it. Movement out of joy calms the brain and nervous system.
4. Adapt the movements and training after how exhausted and fatigued you are, and your level of fitness. In the first phase, when you can't do anything except sleep, do sleep. When you feel a bit better, start with slow, mindful movements like Pilates, yoga or walks. If you worked out a lot before your burnout, you could gradually get back to more intense workouts but keep them lighter and shorter than before.
5. Don't stress out. There will be a time for intense workouts and personal records again if you want to. But right now, your focus should be healing, not your weight or muscles.