Living With Chronic Illness: Your Physical Well-being When You're Chronically Ill

Physical health and chronic illness 

Chronic illness should never be your excuse to avoid working out and caring for your physical health.

It may not be as easy as is used to be. However, with the below information, you should be able to get in track with your physical health.

• Start slowly

The most difficult thing to come to terms with are the limitations that arise from an illness. This can be especially hard if you are young and desire to be active and push the limits. The reality however is that your setbacks are real, the fatigue, limited mobility and other debilitating symptoms you experience make your situation different and as such your approach also has to be different. The best way to exercise with a chronic illness is to start slowly. It is important to learn quite early how to listen to your body. Having an injury added to the pain of an illness can be one of the worst experiences. As a result, you have to be in tune with what your body can or cannot handle. As beneficial as exercise may be a no pain no gain approach can be counterproductive and even detrimental to your health. Listening to your body means knowing your comfort level and sticking to it. Exercise is a progressive act, meaning that the more you do it, the better you get. With time your comfort level will increase, and you will be amazed the things you can achieve.

• Start small 

Having a planned out exercise schedule might not be feasible. At the same time setting lofty goals for yourself to reach may just lead to disappointment and feelings of inadequacy. Therefore, it can help to adopt the simple philosophy of ‘Something is better than nothing.' Your days can be unpredictable; some are great while some are very challenging. Regardless of which you may be facing doing something is usually enough and a lot better than doing nothing. Simple activities done in intervals over an extended period can add up quickly to strengthen your body. Remember that the goal with exercise is to remain physically healthy so that you can enjoy a better quality of life.

• Focus on the positive

Living with a chronic illness can distort your perspective on life. It can make you focus on how much you have to accomplish rather than how far you have come. But instead of laying emphasis on all that you might not be able to do, congratulate yourself on your achievements. Everything that you can do is an achievement, and every achievement is a milestone. It can help to have a journal or logbook where you write down all the progress you have made using positive and encouraging words. This way anytime you feel that you are incapable of something, remind yourself of all the things that you are capable of doing. This will help keep you motivated and positive through the process. Love yourself Self-love is the ultimate mental attitude you need to have. The frustration of an illness can often morph into resentment and even hatred for your body. Unfortunately, this resentment only worsens the situation and give your shortcomings more power than they have. You must learn to love and reassure yourself, and not just in theory but practically as well. Remind yourself every day of your physical strengths, your abilities, and your many talents. You are working to become the best version of yourself, not to repair a fault or weakness.

• Do whatever works 

The symptoms of your illness are never fixed and can change every day. As a result, you need to maintain an attitude of doing whatever works. You may enjoy doing a particular exercise, but if your symptoms don't allow it, you must be ready to switch to something different without losing steam or feeling discouraged. At the same time, you should remain flexible as to when and where you exercise. You might prefer working out at home at a particular period of the day, but if your routine changes suddenly, you should be ready to work with what you have.

• Be accountable to someone

It is normal to lose motivation for exercise, and even the healthiest people struggle to keep up. To remain motivated, you have to create a network of accountability for support. The best way to do this is to exercise with someone you trust be it a friend, trainer or family member. Let this person be your workout companion, tell them about your intentions and ask for their help to keep you on track. When you are accountable to someone, you will be more inclined to maintain your fitness routine.

• Never give up 

There is a difference between taking a break and giving up. It's ok to accept the physical and emotional drain and take days off to do nothing but rest. In fact, it may be the best thing to do sometimes to avoid breaking down. But throwing in the towel should not be an option. Giving up has more to do with the surrendering of your mind than your body. No matter how you feel, tell yourself it is only temporary and that tomorrow will be better. Let your mind stay strong, and your body will never give in.