Exercise when you're burned out and exhausted

[yayoikusama]

I stopped work this week in a blend of diagnosed burnout and potential premature ovarian insufficiency (very early menopause).

I feel completely wiped – I'm napping 3-4 hours a day on top of a full night's sleep, and my body's holding on to a lot of inflammation, including full-body aches and tension, and pretty intense water retention. I feel like the Michelin Man.

I want to do some gentle exercise to help it release what it's holding on to, and to help lift my mood a little, but of course I have minimal energy for anything. Yoga feels like it's not doing much to help.

Any advice or suggestions on what I could do? I find it easiest to have a youtube video I can follow so I can minimise thinking – but I'll take any guidance I can get!

Walking outside would be my recommendation as the fresh air and daylight will help lift your mood as well as the physical exercise.

Agree with walking outside. Find a park near to you with sunlight dappling through trees. Find a great podcast or an inspiring audiobook and put on your headphones on and just walk. Doesn't have to be a power walk, just gentle rhythmic walking.

I guarantee it will make you feel so much better

I would second walking.

If you have the energy a gentle swim is always my go to.

If you have some resistance bands Pilates too. The bands can help support you.

If you are unwell, let your body rest and start to heal. Do not put it under greater stress. When you feel ready, start very gently with low impact exercise. A gentle walk may be all you can manage. Then when you are stronger, you can start pushing yourself. If you do too much too soon, you will go backwards. Hope you start feeling better soon.

Also agree. Gentle walking outside will help to increase circulation which will help with water retention.

Some ideas

Walk in nature (woodland or park)

Get in the garden and feel grass on your feet.

Do a little bit of gardening.

Id also consider a lymphatic massage or similar

Sleep
Sauna
Really slow short stroll
Go with what feels good your body knows what you need

Thanks, everyone. I'm out in the woods with my dog every day, usually several times a day – so that's great. He keeps me on-track with that side of things.

I just feel so puffy and inflamed and it's so uncomfortable. My face looks like a balloon and I've gone up 2kg on the scale. My diet hasn't changed, so it's all water.

I guess part of recovery is going to be stopping trying to 'fix' everything, and I'm not great at that...

"My diet hasn't changed, "

Maybe it needs to? Maybe the water retention is due to a food intolerance.

That’s great that you are outside so much.

maybe try eating a bit less? Maybe stop analysing like you say?

much love to you xx

If you are already walking, how about a gentle swim? Try and find a calm pool and just gently potter up and down. I find this really soothing. It’s not about speed or effort, more just a meditative movement in water.
But really, I think now might be a good time to listen to your body, enjoy the naps and only start to move more when you feel ready

I'd second the suggestion to have a sauna and/or a massage.

Yoga Nidra. The insight Timer app has lots of guided ones.

It isn't really exercise in the traditional sense but will help you to deeply relax and heal your body.

I work with people who have chronic fatigue and I always recommend this and walking, as others have said

Go for a swim, even if it’s 4-6 lengths. Then go to the steam room/sauna/jacuzzi for a bit and try and stretch. I go every Sunday evening without fail: I do my lengths, steam room/sauna, jacuzzi, shower, moisturiser, dry my hair, long T-shirt dress, home, a cup of peppermint tea, book, sleep.

That sounds lovely.

I have a lot of aches and pains (40s but some health issues) and I find a regular swim and gentle cycling is great, and fits easily around lifestyle. You might find an Aquafit class - really sociable and will help with your mood as well as your energy

Gentle and outdoors is great. It gives the brain the oxygen, hormones and space to process and heal.

If you're a strong swimmer and there's a suitable venue nearby open water swimming is amazing. It tends to be very much women meeting socially and having a gentle session. Swimming at the level of wildlife is an incredible experience.

Yoga might be what you need.

I love the feeling after swimming of being clean, tired in a good way and relaxed from the water. But as others have said, just focus on being in water for a bit, slow swim or float, no pressure.

I also find YouTube pilates or yoga videos so helpful in times of stress, I have my favourites bookmarked so can just do a ten or five minutes one which gives me a boost.

I love Jessica Valant pilates she is very encouraging, explains adaptations well and has a whole playlist of beginner videos around 10 minutes long which are great

Epsom salt bath! Sauna & swim. Gentle walking in woods (stop before you are fatigued).

I’ve been there.

Have you had your thyroid checked?

Oh you're all being so kind and helpful – thank you!

@BogRollBOGOF I'm a regular wild swimmer, although mostly just dunking these days. You're totally right, the community around it is so welcoming and nourishing and brilliant. In recent weeks, though, I've noticed my body's finding temperature regulation tricky, and I'm a bit nervous about putting my system under any kind of shock...

@SnowflakeSmasher86 they checked TSH in my initial round of bloods for the POI diagnosis, and that came back normal. They haven't done a full thyroid panel, though; said there was no need if TSH was within range. Is that true, do you know?

I’d get a private blood test for thyroid antibodies

i found body balance to be great, slightly more hard going than yoga but not too much

A lite/intro/mobility type of reformer pilates might work. As they guide you through each exercise it's almost like meditation but not quite.
Swimming or pool walking would be good as the "compression" of the water might hell with the water retention.