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Exercise

Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

Exercise when you're burned out and exhausted

47 replies

yayoikusama · 01/08/2025 07:24

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!

OP posts:
Dolphinosep0tatoes · 01/08/2025 11:31

yayoikusama · 01/08/2025 07:45

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...

If you're already walking your dog several times a day then it's a poor idea to attempt more.

You need rest. Sit in the sunshine (garden or balcony?), read a book, do a jigsaw puzzle, nap in your pjs all day...

Meditation or relaxation exercises will help. Gentle gardening - being in contact with plants & the soil exposes us to good bacteria and releases happiness hormones - just planting a pant in a pot is enough.

Looking at improving your nutrition will help. Weightloss comes after you've given your body a chance to heal & convalesce.

Sounds to me that you need to break the mindset of always 'doing'. Doing nothing isn't a waste of time, you give your body & mind chance to really rest - inactivity is necessary for health, its not laziness, when being inactive you actively allow yourself to heal & recover.

Learned this the hard way. For the sake of your health, learn it sooner than me.

yayoikusama · 01/08/2025 18:02

Ooft, @Dolphinosep0tatoes you're speaking the truth there. I'm really feeling unmoored by having nothing in my schedule, no work, nobody 'needing' me for anything... actually having permission to do nothing is the wildest sensation, but I'm struggling to give that permission to myself.

I feel like I'm at risk of just becoming a big slob 😅

OP posts:
IShouldNotCoco · 01/08/2025 18:05

I have enjoyed swimming several times a week at the club I go to. I also find the sauna helpful (I have chronic back problems)

Dolphinosep0tatoes · 01/08/2025 19:29

It can be useful to think about why you feel so unmoored...Often this can be linked to a sense of anxiety and learning to be OK with doing nothing means learning to trust that nothing bad will happen as a result.

The need to be busy and feel needed can also be linked to missing a sense of meaning and purpose in one's life.

Our society has really pushed the idea that being busy, constantly active, always doing and being always 'on' via smartphones, text, emails and social media, means that we're achieving and gives us a direction and purpose through a series of goals.

If you're struggling to let go of some of this, it can help to realise that living life at a slower pace, doesn't mean your life lacks meaning.

Don't think of it as "doing nothing" or "wasting time", reframe it as establishing a new set of goals. These goals are to teach yourself how to live a more mindful and meaningful life, to accept self-kindness and learn to be more present in the moment.

I live a quieter, slower life now, but it's much more balanced and I still have room to pick up projects and interests (I get bored easily), throw myself at supporting a friend or family member or deal with a crisis when needed, without expending energy I don't have to give. Consequently, I'm more content than I used to be and more comfortable with myself...I don't need to constantly prove myself, for example.

It's a bit like the speedometer on a car...Most of us drive day to day at 30-50mph, which is better fuel economy. When needed, we speed up to 60, 70mph on appropriate roads. We don't need to drive at that speed all the time. Recovering from burnout is a bit like learning to pootle along a country road, enjoying the scenery, rather than always hitting the motorway 😁

Dolphinosep0tatoes · 01/08/2025 19:31

If you need more of a traditional goal - try a daily reading habit. At first it feels indulgent and can be hard to focus, but in a few months you'll notice you're thinking differently and more intentionally. Art & literature is for mind and soul :)

CharlotteSometimes1 · 01/08/2025 19:35

I’d add booking a few sessions of manual lymphatic massage it’s lovely and light and will really help with puffiness.

Dolphinosep0tatoes · 01/08/2025 19:41

CharlotteSometimes1 · 01/08/2025 19:35

I’d add booking a few sessions of manual lymphatic massage it’s lovely and light and will really help with puffiness.

Great idea! I love reflexology, there's a lady who comes to me, leaves me feeling totally relaxed and often includes some lymphatic massage

FloraBotticelli · 01/08/2025 19:47

You could try ‘the big six’ for lymphatic drainage (search on YouTube for the instructions) and/or build up to a couple of minutes rebounding a day.

Agree with not pushing yourself too hard. If your body needs rest, it needs rest. Try to tune into what’s coming from your head (usually judgements, ‘should’ thoughts or outside advice) and what needs are rising up from your body (a felt sense that is your body telling you what it needs).

GOODCAT · 01/08/2025 21:37

Dolphinosep0tatoes · 01/08/2025 19:31

If you need more of a traditional goal - try a daily reading habit. At first it feels indulgent and can be hard to focus, but in a few months you'll notice you're thinking differently and more intentionally. Art & literature is for mind and soul :)

Agree with this, although a completely different situation I was feeling extremely stressed and wasn't sleeping my mind was racing all night, but reading fiction just before bed has really helped distract me and helped me sleep better.

WonderingWanda · 01/08/2025 21:42

Peppermint tea really seems to help when I am all puffy.

MIAMNER · 01/08/2025 22:15

It sounds like you already do quite a lot and that you need something to occupy your mind and boost your mood as well as keeping you active, so I’d second gardening. Now is a great time to plant seeds for biannuals (foxgloves etc), take cuttings and divide perennials and plan bulb displays for next spring. Head over to the gardening board, pop to the library for some books, and fall asleep in front of gardener’s world. It’s very satisfying.

Candlesandmatches · 01/08/2025 22:39

Swimming. When walking with the dog is it a continuous walk or are you regularly stopping as dog has a sniff, wee etc? Because that’s not really a brisk walk. Try aiming for 8,000 steps a day.

Dolphinosep0tatoes · 02/08/2025 01:28

Candlesandmatches · 01/08/2025 22:39

Swimming. When walking with the dog is it a continuous walk or are you regularly stopping as dog has a sniff, wee etc? Because that’s not really a brisk walk. Try aiming for 8,000 steps a day.

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

Given all this, brisk walking shouldn't even be on her radar right now.

coxesorangepippin · 02/08/2025 02:16

Walk, or just even sit, outdoors

Doesn't sound like you need a workout

PrincessFluffyPants · 02/08/2025 05:41

@yayoikusama I don’t want to frighten you or anyone reading this but your talk of inflammation triggered me to respond. I left a job I originally enjoyed because of physical “burnout” and presumed it was caused by the menopause and just generally getting older, even though I was on HRT (which I loved), had a great 6 day a week exercise regime and looked physically fit, ate well, could walk/jog for miles, and was trying to do everything to ease myself into a fit older age. I found a lovely, non pressured part time job and thought that was the solution. After a couple of months the burnout hadn’t improved and I started to become a bit concerned, but I luckily had more time to take good stock of my body and health and more importantly, finally do something about the niggles, which also meant deal with a very small lump which I had presumed was a cyst and have the doctor investigate why two or three lymph nodes had become enlarged and tender. It turned out it wasn’t a cyst and I have cancer. Please, if anyone reads this and are in a similar position do arrange a GP appointment, life is too short to think that “burnout” is an acceptable consequence of having a fast paced job and lifestyle, when it it is our bodies shouting at us and telling us something is very wrong, and if you think your job is more important than making an appointment with your GP surgery, please think again.

As for exercise now, very gentle is the way to go as I get tired and in pain quickly if I’m not cautious. My mindset has had to change from pushing and challenging myself to allowing myself to heal and it’s been difficult to change. So, I allow myself a walk around the garden and take my secateurs with me to dead head flowers as I walk around. Throw the ball for the dog. On a very good day I may take myself for a circular short walk, I make myself a cup of tea and leave it by the kettle so it’s ready to drink when I get back, that walk is just less than a quarter of a mile. That is enough, I’ve learnt the hard way not to over do it. On a good day and if I have the energy, I do simple stretches before I get dressed. Occasionally, I do only one set of three different free weight exercises to “keep toned” but I use 1.5kg weights max and only on a day when I have nothing else planned so can sit quietly for an hour afterwards.

Hope you make a good recovery but definitely take things very slowly.

yayoikusama · 02/08/2025 07:48

Oh, @PrincessFluffyPants I'm so sorry to hear this. Bodies can be so communicative, and not always the easiest to read correctly, right?

This 'limbo' state I'm in as I wait for the next round of blood tests isn't really helping – my head's spinning as I wonder if it IS POI, or maybe it's M.E, or maybe it's Hashimoto's, or maybe it's purely burnout, or maybe I'm just being dramatic.... (I know I'm not but the thought does pass through my mind).

My digestive system's gone all haywire in recent weeks, too - bloating and sluggishness where usually I'm lean and working like clockwork. It's all very disconcerting, but it sounds like the only thing to do is surrender to whatever's going on and let myself do nothing at all.

Which should be delightful and easy - and yet...

OP posts:
PrincessFluffyPants · 02/08/2025 09:48

@yayoikusama The waiting for results and being sent for further tests is the hardest part, I’m sure there will be relief when you get a diagnosis regardless of what it is, at least it means treatment can begin.

You have probably realised you are feeling bloated because you aren’t as active, gentle walking helps keep the bowel moving, if not, investigate the best type of laxative for you and any current medications you are taking, they don’t all work in the same way and some can make it worse (ask me how I know!).

You are probably restless as you haven’t got used to your new normal yet, it can take weeks and weeks for your body and mind to relax into a new gentle routine after being on the go and on edge constantly. I still feel guilty that I’m not working and anxious as I don’t feel that I’m “contributing”, if I wake after 8am I still feel like I’ve wasted half the day which I accept is ridiculous, but also our bodies need as much rest as they can get.

If you do get a chronic diagnosis there several boards on Mumsnet for life limiting illnesses where you will find support; I really hope you don’t need to visit it and get a good result at the end of all that you are going through.

Winglessvulture · 02/08/2025 10:47

I suffer from chronic fatigue and a few inflammatory conditions and do find exercise useful for managing my symptoms and ensuring my fatigue doesn't worsen. Personally, walking (must be flat or minimal hills/stairs), Pilates and exercise bike are what I find useful and not overly taxing. Walking has the added benefit of getting fresh air too.

I really hope you manage to get some proper rest and that you can find some things that help you feel a bit better. Take care.

PrincessFluffyPants · 02/08/2025 10:50

@Dolphinosep0tatoes
the link is really useful, thank you for posting it.

Meadowfinch · 02/08/2025 10:51

Walking through fields and woods or go for a swim. I did both after chemo and it helped tremendously.

The lack of stress, the quiet, no need to rush. In the pool, all your muscles are supported and you can work as hard or as gently as you wish.

wizzywig · 02/08/2025 10:52

Epsom salt baths in comfortable, not hot hot water. Yoga/ pilates. Body brushing daily

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