The Importance of Exercise, Even When You Aren't Feeling Great

Some kayak time. Getting over the inertia.

Despite my chronic illness, I try to exercise when I can, and I do think it helps me from getting significantly worse. We are fortunate enough to live on the water, and so when it’s warm I can swim (when the water is relatively “clean”) - and by swimming, I mean, paddling around with a lifejacket on (I can actually swim swim, but there’s no way I’m putting my face in the dirty Chesapeake waters) - kayak, and when my vestibular function is not acting up, stand up paddleboard.

But this year, summer seems to have been delayed. The weather was crappy in May. I got my wisdom teeth out. Then we had Canadian Smoke Doom - and going outside wasn’t an option for a little bit. Today I checked the air quality and there’s a moderate amount of ozone, and my symptoms have been acting up since my wisdom teeth removal, but I was like, screw it, I need to get outside.

But then I didn’t want to do it. It’s easier to sit at the computer. I have a lot of projects in the fire and things I need to get done. All my kayak stuff was put away for the winter. I had to dig out a bathing suit, a shortie (light wetsuit), kayak hat and gloves, paddle, etc. My water shoes, which had been sitting outside, had cobwebs on them.

Then there was the task of pulling the kayak out and giving it its annual spring cleaning to remove all the debris, spiderwebs, and wayward bugs.

I really didn’t want to bother.

And the new wetsuit I bought on Amazon for $25 on sale; the darn thing is weirdly tight at my upper back and the velcro at the neck is like a supermagnet, ensnaring everything in its wake.

Everything was a pain in the butt!

And then I wasn’t sure I had the energy to go that far in the water, seeing as I was now out of shape and just dragging the kayak off the rack and down to the water feels like a workout.

I’ll just go out for 15 minutes just to get my “feet wet” and ease my way back into kayaking, I thought.

Plus, I was concerned about the air quality still not being that great.

But once I was in the water, and relaxed a bit, I found myself enjoying the water and the sunshine. Two young guys were riding standup paddleboards and somewhat dangerous following boats that were coming into the river, riding their wake like surf.

So I spent a half-hour on the water. Then I put everything back, jumped directly into the shower upon entering the house, and now I’m drinking a smoothie with some protein to make sure I’ve got adequate nutrition after my adventure.

Guess what? I’m still having some mild dizziness…really, I just feel like I’m chronically fighting a virus all the time…but the rest of my body feels pretty good. Cleaner, somehow.

I know, when dealing with a chronic health condition, movement may seem too daunting, but sometimes even a little bit can help. But do pace yourself. For certain conditions, you can’t go balls out on day one or you could make yourself worse. Personally, I have built up some exercise tolerance over many decades, despite the post-exertional malaise I had from the chronic fatigue syndrome I got as a young woman. But that took a lot of time and starting out very small with a teeny weeny bit of exercise.

So I’m not expecting everyone to go jump in a kayak. But maybe for you the little bit of exercise is a small walk or just one easy qigong exercise. You can do it!

And now I’m going to take a quick nap before dinner.