How did I stay strong (and GAIN strength) while recovering from adrenal fatigue?

Exercising with adrenal fatigue can look SO different for so many people. The most important aspect is to simply LISTEN to your body. Your body knows what it needs and how much it can handle in one day. There have definitely been times in which I have overdone it in the gym with adding too much weight or trying to do a HIIT workout at 110% of my personal capacity because that is simply the type A in me. 
This is definitely not an easy thing to overcome, but once you succumb to what your body truly WANTS and NEEDS, you will not only be in a better place physically, but mentally as well.

While I was recovering from the worst of my adrenal fatigue and especially after my recent hip surgery in January of 2018, I was SO exhausted. And to be honest, I did expect some exhaustion, but the worst of it hit when I was 4-5 months out of surgery. At that time I thought I would have been nearly back to my normal self which is why I knew my adrenals were playing a huge role here. I think most surgeons, nurses, and doctors forget to remind you of the long-lasting effects that surgery can have on your body and while this is true, they don’t tell you HOW to recover from it. This long-lasting effect can happen with any surgery, especially with anesthesia.

So… how did I balance maintaining and even increasing my strength after surgery??

1. I didn’t push myself harder than I was ready for (I tried this and it didn’t go well... trust me!)

2. I used a lot of rest-based interval training to find the balance of challenging my muscular strength, endurance and even cardiovascular system (this will be part of my future program as women’s metabolisms tend to respond EXTREMELY well).

3. Restorative walks for at least 30-60 min/day (this means at a slow pace!)

4. Gentle movement including yoga poses and stretches.

   As of right NOW, I am able to tolerate a little bit more exercise, but only with careful monitoring of how I feel that day. If I don’t sleep well, my adrenals have taken a hit and my exercise has to take a few steps back. Keep in mind, your body doesn’t truly benefit from the HIIT workout that you had planned for the day if you are dragging yourself out of bed each morning just to get your workout in. If your body needs the extra sleep, by all means give it that!

Try using this template:

Monday: RBIT (rest based interval training with HIIT style) workout (<20 minutes)*

Tuesday: Walk 30-60 minutes at leisurely pace (HR at <120 beats/min)and stretch OR yoga (I recommend gentle or Yin Yoga)

Wednesday: RBIT (rest based interval training with HIIT style) Workout (<20 minutes)*

Thursday: Walk 30-60 minutes at leisurely pace (HR at <120 beats/min)and stretch OR yoga (I recommend gentle or Yin Yoga)

Friday: RBIT (rest based interval training with HIIT style) Workout (<20 minutes)*

Saturday/Sunday: Walk 30-60 minutes at leisurely pace (HR at <120 beats/min)and stretch OR yoga (I recommend gentle or Yin Yoga)

*DO NOT let yourself tire out to exhaustion throughout this workout. Your goal should be to work hard at 75% and rest enough to allow you to get there. I would recommend resting more than you are working.

Give it a try and comment below to let me know what you think!