Excercising while sick?

Kimmiepie · 11-04-2009, 01:36 PM

I have mono (and have for a while) but I want to exercise!! Some days I feel pretty well, others days I feel tired and achy. It's a "mild" form of mono, the chronic kind, so I haven't had any kind of fever or anything.

I want to exercise because I'm gaining weight again and really don't want that. I don't want to make myself worse by "wearing out" my body more. I know that exercise is good for the lymph system, and my lymph nodes do swell from time to time...but I'm not sure if it's good while you're ill. Do you think it would benefit my body to exercise on the days that I feel sort of normal, or make me worse and relapse?

Any thoughts? Thanks!

jocelyndale · 11-04-2009, 02:14 PM

From the CFIDS and fibro communities (where EBV is fairly common), it seems that pushing yourself in any way when you have mono results in long-term chronic illness.

I'd opt for slow walks and gentle in home stretching.

Kimmiepie · 11-04-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocelyndale

From the CFIDS and fibro communities (where EBV is fairly common), it seems that pushing yourself in any way when you have mono results in long-term chronic illness.

I'd opt for slow walks and gentle in home stretching.

Oh.

Thanks. So even though on some days I feel mostly normal I shouldn't then either?

RunnerMommy · 11-04-2009, 03:46 PM

I had mono in college and I was on the swim team. I took about a week completely off, but then the Dr. said I could go back and do light exercise until I was completely healed. I went to the pool and swam for an hour about 6 days a week. I usually felt a lot better after being in the pool- like you said, it got the blood and lymph circulating. It took a while, but I fully healed- no chronic illness. At least nothing in the last 10 years

.

Anyway, I think you should listen to your body. If you think some light exercise would make you feel better, then do it. If you start and feel a little off then stop or slow down. Good luck!

Kimmiepie · 11-04-2009, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunnerMommy

I had mono in college and I was on the swim team. I took about a week completely off, but then the Dr. said I could go back and do light exercise until I was completely healed. I went to the pool and swam for an hour about 6 days a week. I usually felt a lot better after being in the pool- like you said, it got the blood and lymph circulating. It took a while, but I fully healed- no chronic illness. At least nothing in the last 10 years

.

Anyway, I think you should listen to your body. If you think some light exercise would make you feel better, then do it. If you start and feel a little off then stop or slow down. Good luck!

Thanks

Well this actually IS the chronic form...so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I mean, before I knew that I actually HAD mono (I just kept feeling sick for a few days, well for a few and so on) I was getting into an exercise routine (belly dancing) and really enjoying it. It did seem to up my energy levels and I had mono at the time, just didn't know it.

I am going to talk to a natural doc about this, but it will be a few weeks before I can so I wanted some input. I just really feel that my body would benefit from some exercise as long as I"m feeling up to it but definitely don't want to do something that is going to make the healing process longer. kwim?

jocelyndale · 11-04-2009, 09:12 PM

If this is chronic, how long have you been ill? Are we talking years? In that case, you can probably handle a graded exercise program. If we're talking three weeks, I'd personally take it easy and very slowly ramp up activity . . . you'll know if you overdo it. Your glands will likely swell and you'll feel sick. Hopefully your spleen will stay put.

Kimmiepie · 11-05-2009, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocelyndale

If this is chronic, how long have you been ill? Are we talking years? In that case, you can probably handle a graded exercise program. If we're talking three weeks, I'd personally take it easy and very slowly ramp up activity . . . you'll know if you overdo it. Your glands will likely swell and you'll feel sick. Hopefully your spleen will stay put.

Well I suspect it has been years, yes. It has taken me a long time to get a diagnosis. I believe that I had it a while, got over it, and it is not back again (for the past 2/3 months).