Should I Work Out if I'm not Feeling Well?

Do you feel like you might be getting sick? Are you getting over a cold? Do you have a fever but want to push through for your workout? When should you rest and when is working out ok?

These are my personal thoughts on working out when you aren’t feeling your best and are not medical advice, but this is what I do and what I suggest when people ask me.

If you are feeling poorly, I think it is almost always the right choice to rest. When you are fighting off a cold, or when you are sick, your body needs rest and uses energy to ramp up your immune system to do what it does best. Resting will almost always help you feel better, quicker so you can return to all your favorite activities. If you have a fever and are feeling really bad, I don’t recommend doing anything physical. Lie on that couch, put your legs up, sleep, have someone make you warm soup and know that all of this will help you feel better soon (I know this may be impossible if you’re a parent with young kids but do what you can!).

If you’re on the tail end of sickness, or feel like you are fighting off something minor, you can add in gentle exercise. Walking is always great. Gentle stretching and gentle Pilates would be good options. The key here is truly listening to your body. Most likely you will do less than you normally would, but some movement will get your muscles moving, increase oxygenation and help you in feeling better.

Your body will benefit from rest and you’ll be able to return to your normal exercise and activities sooner. If you’re craving movement but still have a lot of symptoms of illness, a gentle virtual Pilates mat class or a virtual private session are good options to let you go slow, listen to your body and do less than you might normally.

Support your body in the job it is doing for your healing.

Snow and Illness Policies at Rooted Wellness

It’s that time of year when weather can be questionable and illness is going around, so it’s a good time to share a reminder of our studio policies at Rooted Wellness & Pilates.

In the case of inclement weather and I feel it is unsafe for me to drive to the studio, I will cancel appointments. If you feel it is unsafe for you to drive to the studio, please let me know. You will not be charged for a late cancel, even if it is within 24 hours. If you would like to switch your in-studio session to a virtual session, that can be arranged.

If you are sick, please don’t come to the studio. I will happily reschedule or cancel your session without charge for sickness, and I always appreciate you not sharing any germs.

Any questions? Email me or text/call.

Somatic Practice: 7 Minutes to Feel Grounded

This 7-minute guided somatic practice will help you feel more present and grounded in your body. Achieving that state will help you feel more relaxed and able to deal with the challenges of a busy holiday season and is good for overall health and stress reduction.

Give it a try and let me know how you felt afterward!

Do You Let Your Body Know You’re Grateful?

In so many aspects of life, we want things to be different or what we think will be better.

This seems to be built into the Pilates and coaching world. We often want our bodies to be better, to do better and we’re actively trying to make changes. People come to Pilates because they want something to change. They want to be out of pain, to have better posture or stronger abs. People come to somatic coaching and trauma healing because they want something to be different; they want healing.

As someone who’s a lifelong learner and who has continued to meet life's challenges by constantly working to improve all areas of my life, I understand and do the same in my own life. There are a lot of positive things that happen through intentional change.

However, it is really important to find balance in having goals and meeting goals, while also acknowledging what we have accomplished already. If you practice Pilates or have been focused on healing, physical or emotional, you might recognize perfectionist tendencies in yourself, which can make it harder to focus on what you are already doing well. 

When we’re constantly striving for the next goal and accomplishment or the next phase of our healing, we can forget to give gratitude for what we’ve already accomplished. We forget to acknowledge how amazing our bodies are and how well they take care of us.

How does it feel to thank your body for all it does for you?

Can you take a few moments to acknowledge and notice what you do? Notice how strong you are. Feel how capable and resilient your body is. Your body does so much every day to keep you safe and healthy. Give your body gratitude for this gift every day. 

Supporting Mental Health Every Day

World Mental Health Day was October 17. Since COVID began, it feels like there are more people with mental health challenges, as well as more people speaking up, normalizing that they are struggling and that they need support.

It is great that we are normalizing the need for mental health support and that this support is important to our overall health. It is also hard to find a therapist right now, as many providers have a waitlist or may not be accepting new patients. If you are looking for a therapist and not having luck, keep reaching out, ask busy practices for referrals, try newer therapists, and be patient. If you feel like your needs could be met by a provider other than a therapist, you can look for other trauma informed providers such as coaches, somatic experiencing practitioners, and massage and craniolsacral therapy practitioners. These professionals are familiar with working with trauma and stress in the body. While this does not take the place of therapy, it can be helpful and be part of your support network. 

What can you do everyday to support your mental health?

Exercise!

There are many research studies that show that exercise can have a significant impact on symptoms of anxiety, depression and ADHD. We know that exercise improves mood, improves sleep and is generally good for you. When adding in exercise, I always encourage people to find something that they enjoy (or at least something that they don’t hate!). Walking is an easy exercise to implement into your day and (of course) I think Pilates is a pretty great choice as well. 

Another important aspect of mental health is supporting your nervous system.

The last few months, I’ve shared simple somatic practices to support nervous system regulation. Nervous system regulation is important because our systems are not designed to be constantly in a state of stress (which many of us are!). These somatic practices help to support settling, or down-regulation of the nervous system, which is a calmer, restorative and restful state. Ideally we move through feeling stress and challenge, back to this more relaxed and restorative state with ease. Somatic practices help this process. Try them and see if you notice a feeling of being more grounded, peaceful and connected to yourself. 

Self Support Hug
Orienting
Grounding