There is nothing easy about finding a balance for working out while healing if you’ve gone your whole life loving intense workouts.

Nonetheless, I have made changes, at least temporarily, that I hope will see me towards even more healing and health.

Working Out While Healing

Ever since, I get so many questions around,

How are you working out now that you have finished the second round of Rifaximin and Neomycin?

So I’ll share with you.

Workouts My Way

Here’s what I want to tell you. I want to tell you that I’m working out 5-6 days a week, intense training, mostly Tabata meets Crossfit. Additionally, I want to share that I’m training for a half marathon with a sprinkle of Spartan #2 preparation.

I won’t lie. This style of training and fitness lives in me. Even writing the words makes me feel excited! And, in fact, I want to immediately stop typing and imminently start training.

You know, I even tried telling Ryan recently that maybe I could train for a half marathon in Utah this August. The weather is amazing, and nothing could be better for my oxygen mask health right now than the runner’s high I could experience almost daily if I were to enter the race.

I am certain of it.

But at this point on the healing journey, unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of doing workouts my way any longer.

Ladies, I lost those privileges when I spent years not listening to my body and destroying my hormones. Any chance for fitness this way has now been put off limits probably until I can keep myself a full year in SIBO remission, as confirmed by my doctor.

It makes me mad and frustrated because I feel like my passion for fitness is a waste. Most people wish for a fitness passion like this. I have it, but it has to remain locked up for quite some time.

During my doctor’s appointment last week, we discussed things I can do. Dwelling on the negative will never help my healing efforts.

So I’m moving forward with a mind shift and positive, inspiring plan for healing while still remaining active.

My Workouts

Click HERE to save these ideas for later.

Listen, I even canceled my gym membership. There were many reasons for it. But the main reason was the added stress I had in trying to find the time to get there, get a workout in and get home for the babies. I need zero added stress at this point, so I quit.

The days I was going to the gym, I started to stay longer and longer because I knew I might only get there 1 (maybe) 2 times per week. 45-60 minutes of my workouts is far too much for my body to handle. I know this because afterwards, I would stay drained for at least a day, if not 2 or 3 days. (p.s. that is a major sign of adrenal fatigue, ladies, take note!)

So a couple Saturdays ago, I simply just stopped going to the gym.

I posted this picture on Facebook, and I mentioned,

The gym really doesn’t work for my schedule anymore, but working out is one of my greatest joys. This morning when it wasn’t open I turned it into an opportunity to enjoy one of my favorite (totally unfinished) rooms in our house, the backyard view, my own music and coffee with a 6 rounds Tabata workout. 

Ever since, I’ve been working out in this room, about 2-3 days per week, for about 30 minutes (tops).

We don’t have a bunch of heavy weights or the equipment I want yet, so I’ve mostly been doing bodyweight and light weight exercises.

We are working on building something in the garage, at which point I’ll still only workout a max of 30 minutes, but then I’ll be able to do heavier lifts with more rest time. (Updated in April, 2017: We finished our home gym, and you can read all about it HERE!)

When it comes to weights and training like this, 3-4 days per week at 20-ish minutes would be 100% ideal. That is what I am working towards.

Beyond that, I am

• Walking. I aim to reach 10,000 steps a day, but I usually fall anywhere between 7,000-11,000 steps per day.
• Playing. Most days I take the kids to the park. We walk there (Samarah in stroller, Isaiah in Ergo), and then Samarah and I run around doing various things while Isaiah crawls in the grass and on me. p.s. Double-bonus: Vitamin D!
• Swimming. Soon! I’ll be ready to start swimming when our pool opens in May.
• Zen. I am about to take up a form of meditating (per my doctor, who also gave me apps for it, is that an oxymoron?!) and (still) desiring to go back to Bikram.

I am not a beast, but if I’m to be completely honest with you, I really wish I could train like one. Because I want to do all the things, feel all the feels, and be uber-super-awesomely fit.

But then I sit back and I think,

But why? For what? For who?

I have 2 children and a husband who not only need me but adore me for who I am. And I can’t be useful to them, to myself or to anyone else if I am not well.

I know there are women who will sacrifice their hormones, take medication forever and feel drained day-in, day-out so that they can act out all the things I am desiring.

But I can’t any longer.

What I can do is be thankful that I understand and know exactly what it takes to heal and to do the things for achieving that each day and each moment I can.

Read more about this topic: What I Really Think About Workouts and Gut Healing.

Xox,
SKH