I don’t get ill very often. And I HATE being ill but this week I found myself down and out for the count.
I will literally have to rest after writing this because my body wants me doing absolutely nothing and I am listening to it which is a challenge for me!
I never used to listen to my body ….. in the past, I would have tried to keep going and do all the things I needed to do but not now.
I realise that what I did in the past by pushing on, was sabotaging my health and it just took me longer to recover! I thought I was tough and could handle it but the truth is we need to stop and listen to what our body is telling
us and do the right thing by it.
I also realised that when I continued working and doing all the things even when I felt absolutely awful, I was not practicing what I preached.
I tell my clients to let their body rest and recover properly so that when they come back to training, they are really ready to work.
It shouldn’t be hard to take care of ourselves when needed but I know in the past, due to being self-employed, feeling like I was letting my clients down, feeling the pressure of trying to run a studio as well coach/teach all the
sessions, I was thinking of all of these things instead of thinking about me. I speak to a lot of women who find it hard to put themselves at the top of the priority list! That’s a topic for another day!
Pushing through pain, injury and pushing through sickness ultimately means we take longer to recover.
It can lead to side effects and other injuries that make us worse off in the long run.
Trust me, I know this to be true from my own past personal experience.
Thrice in the last 10 years, I have suffered burn out! Last year was the last time! I vowed I would never let myself get that burnt out again!
So…. I'm listening to my body, to my mind and even though this is still a challenge, I am prioritising myself! I usually weight train 5 times per week and this is the first week since I started getting back to it after my shoulder
injury, 9 months ago that I have not trained! I am missing it so much but I know my body is not up to it for another few days!
I am listening to my body!!
So whether you're ill or have been dealing with an injury, don't just push through. Work around it, give your body time to heal.
BE SMART!
Be patient with your body when you come back to training. Your fitness and strength will come back...but rebuilding it properly is key.
Now I’m off to rest!!
Love Nicki xx