Me vs. Systemic Inflammation - Learning how to retreat with dignity.
If anyone here struggles with working out without accidentally launching their body into full systemic inflammation meltdown mode, let me just say: one of the most important skills is learning when to push… and when to back away slowly like you just heard a bomb tick. 😳
It took me a long time to figure this out, but I’ve finally gotten better at reading my body’s clues and telling the difference between normal workout pain and the hot joint pain that says, “Congratulations, you have entered nuclear attack territory.”
And honestly, I think this awareness — plus my magical post-workout drink and now creatine — is a huge reason I’ve been able to stay consistent since January. Have I had little breaks? Yes. A random pulled muscle here and there? Also yes. But I have not disappeared into the inflammation underworld for weeks at a time like I used to. Praise God and pass the shaker bottle.
So what are my red flags?
The biggest one is tiredness that does not go away with rest. If I’m sitting on my deck with a cup of tea, watching my ducks, living what should be a peaceful little cottagecore recovery dream… and I still feel like I got hit by a medieval cart, that’s a problem. If a short walk feels less like “refreshing movement” and more like I am dragging my soul through wet cement, that’s a problem too. And headache? Oh, headache is one of my biggest red flags. That usually means I punched way too hard and now my body is filing a formal complaint.
When that happens, I do not “push through.”
No my dear friends! I put myself in a time out from roasting my glutes with Maddie!
That is when I need deep rest. Usually just one or two days of really listening to my body does the trick, and then I can come back and work out full throttle again like a maturely aged lunatic with a mission or just a women who always dreamed of a 6 pack that didn’t come from the liquor-store!
What does rest look like for me?
It means extra support, red light therapy ( blanket or mat or lamp from Amazon), lots of water and tea, and actual rest. Revolutionary, I know. I do not clean my house. I repeat: I DO NOT CLEAN MY HOUSE and yes I have OCD so I do want to clean my house. Because some of us hear the word “rest” and immediately think, “Perfect, this is a wonderful time to reorganize a drawer, mop the floors, alphabetize spices, and repent through productivity.” No.
Sometimes I stay near my bed all day with the lights dimmed. Sometimes I sit in the sun like a lizard with joint pain. I still try to stay a little mobile because I do not want my joints acting like rusty cabinet hinges, but I stop chasing step goals. On those days, nobody gets a medal for extra steps. We are simply trying not to internally combust.
I also change how I eat.
If I’m super tired, I do not make my body work overtime trying to turn protein into fuel like it’s some exhausted little chemistry lab. I give it easier carbs instead. For me that’s usually frozen blueberries, almond wraps, Ezekiel raisin bread, or a little honey in my tea. Not enough to send my blood sugar to the moon, but enough to tell my body, “Here, sweetheart, let’s not make this harder than it already is.”
And interestingly, when I do that, I usually end up eating fewer calories overall by the end of the day anyway.
So yes, this has helped me a lot.
Not every day is a day to go beast mode. Sometimes the wisest, strongest, most emotionally stable thing you can do is notice the signs early, park yourself in bed, sip tea, stare at ducks, glow under red light like a holy rotisserie chicken, and recover before your body decides to humble you publicly.
Do not run your body to the ground! I repeat! Do not break it down but build it strong with wisdom and of course - hot plates of squash and good humor!