Thriving in Fitness with Chronic Illness

“Consistency is better than perfection. We can all be consistent – perfection is impossible”  

Michael Hyatt

Chronic illness is challenging, we never know what’s going to be thrown at us.

And that’s the battle isn’t it?

Today I bounced out of bed ready for the day.

Yesterday.

Well, that was a different story!

That was met with a grimacing face, and gentle rolls out of bed.

Two very different days, but what followed was the same as every day.

My daily stretches and exercise!!

That first step of getting out of bed is the first challenge!!!

And that’s chronic illness for ya

Chronic illness means navigating unpredictable symptoms, fatigue, and pain.

On the other hand, fitness can be a source of healing, confidence, and joy.

And that’s why fitness and exercise are so important for chronic illness sufferers as we need to convert pain into joy!

But with that said…

…it’s important that chronic illness sufferers approach fitness and exercise with compassion for themselves and flexibility.

As no two days are the same!!!!

💪 What Thriving Looks Like

Exercising with a chronic illness is very different to exercising without one.

We have a lot of steps to follow, don’t we?

As explained above, we must assess our current situation, giving ourselves grace, as no two days are the same.

This looks like:

• Adapting workouts to match our energy 
  
• Celebrating small wins like stretching or walking 
  
• Finding joy in movement, not just discipline 
  
• Building routines that support both body and mind 

🧠 Fitness Supports Mental Health

With chronic physical illness, we MUST address our mental health.

Mental health comes hand in hand with chronic pain.

And there’s no shame in that.

Look what we’re dealing with!!!

We’re dealing with pain, unpredictability, lack of sleep, lack of self-esteem and for some of us loss of income.

No wonder we’re stressed!!

But exercise, no matter how small can:

• Boost our mood and reduce anxiety 
  
• Improve sleep and energy levels 
  
• Build self-esteem and emotional resilience 
  
• Create structure and a sense of progress

🧘‍♀️ Gentle Fitness Options

Fitness doesn’t mean we have to go and run a marathon.

For many of us, our marathon days are long gone!

Does this make us less than?

Of course not.

We just have to find what that exercise is.

And most importantly, what brings us joy!

This might be:

• Yoga or stretching 
  
• Swimming or water therapy 
  
• Walking outdoors 
  
• Resistance bands or light weights 
  
• Dance or movement therapy 
  
• Gardening

💙 Compassionate Mindset

5 minutes is better than nothing.

OK, 60 minutes may look better than 5 minutes.

But will 60 minutes of exercise result in 2 days of chronic pain?

Is 60 minutes of exercise that results in 2 days of pain better than 5 minutes that results in less pain?

Hmmmmm.

So give yourself grace!

And remember those rest days.

Rest doesn’t equate to laziness.

Remember this.

So remember rest is as important as exercise!

So take the following with you when you’re giving yourself a hard time, remember:

• Rest is part of progress 
  
• Your worth isn’t measured in reps or steps 
  
• Movement is medicine—on your terms 
  
• Every effort counts

🌱 You Are Thriving

Go out there and thrive.

Take those steps to move however you move.

That could be 5 minutes of walking a day.

Or 5 minutes of stretching a day.

And look, those 5 minutes could well turn into 10, 15, 30 minutes in time.

This is about YOU.

And…

No one else, but you!


Measure your results, not other people!!!


And when measuring your results, think month to month.

You can’t look at this weekly, if you’re like me, (you’re diagnosed with chronic conditions) this is a lifelong battle not a 7-day battle!!

Measuring in days and weeks won’t cut it!!

And when looking at results don’t just look at your body.

You need to measure your mood, sleep and energy.


So go and do a little every day!

A little leads to big results in the future!!

We’ve got a lifetime to figure out what’s right for us!!!

So experiment and try different things until you find a fitness regime that brings you joy, that could be gardening or chair yoga.

When you find your fitness joy, embrace it and do it consistently!!

So go out there and thrive in YOUR way.

Anyway…

Have a great day finding your fitness joy!!!

Cheryl  🙂 👋

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