Why 'Just Pace Yourself' Isn't Enough: Energy Management for Exercise with Unpredictable Health

Building a Sustainable Exercise Routine with Health Challenges – Part 2

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or therapist. This blog is based on personal experience and is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified medical and/or mental health professional before starting anything new. Full Disclaimer can be found at the bottom of this page. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

This might sound odd, but I remember the feeling of being energetic. Of being strong. Capable. Quick reacting. For most of my 20s I had a physically intense schedule. I worked with horses, on farms, in kennels, on film-sets. I danced, hiked, did archery.

My descent from there was a free fall that was hard to fathom. And getting up from where I crashed down took a long time. Because I’m in the grey area of illness, where I’m sick enough to complicate life and prevent full-time work, but not sick enough need doctors at every turn, the medical system all but gave up on me.

But how long can you spend in the dark with a shattered identity before you start gathering up the shards of yourself and trying to put it back together?

So I started experimenting on myself. Extra tests through private medical, mindset changes, routine changes, diet changes. Anything. The question became: what pieces of myself could I find again and cultivate?

I didn’t find much to help online. The things I did find were often self-depreciating or all about naturally ‘healing’ myself. And for me, there’s no spontaneous regeneration of the cochlear follicles that will make me regain my hearing and balance. That doesn’t exist.

But could I exercise again? Could I strengthen my body to a point of satisfaction or maybe even accomplish something? Could I foster pieces of myself until I feel like me again? Those were different questions, and ones I could try to answer. Questions I’ve been slowly finding answers to over the past few years.

One of my biggest discovery was learning to manage different types of energy. Learning which kind of energy to bank on which day, and how to find the sweet spot between my ambition and my actual capacity, and what I need left over for tomorrow. When to pivot and use Plan C instead of Plan B.

And how to make an energy strategy and stick to it.

The Reality of Energy Management

Beyond "Pacing" – Strategic Energy Usage

‘Just pace yourself’ is the often vague and frustrating advice people that don’t understand give out like candy on Halloween. As well-meaning as it is, for go-getters like us who are a bit too ambitious for our state of health, the notion of 'pacing' can feel restraining. Like it’s holding you back. Without a way to build a pacing strategy, the idea just becomes another obstacle.

But a marathon runner doesn’t run full tilt for the whole marathon. They have to ensure they have enough energy to reach the end.

So then 'pacing' is not really about holding back, it’s about being strategic with your energy.

Having a pacing strategy creates a mental safety net to prevent crashes and flare-ups. It’s about being smart about training and showing yourself the same understanding a coach or personal trainer would.

While this mostly applies to your Physical Energy, you can also pace different types of energy.

What different types of energy? Well, I'm glad you asked.

Different Energies You Can Use As Motivation

The word ‘energy’ is often used for one overall sense of well-being in relation to productivity or activity. You have energy when you feel well enough to do something. When you don’t, you don’t have the energy.

But if you separate different aspects of your energy and identify them in yourself, you can use those different aspects in different situations. Recharging some while using others. Or even finding some back-up energy.

This mental reframing of my energy helped me accomplish things I didn't think I could a year ago. Suddenly, you're not just 'tired.' You're tired in one specific way, you're low on one type of energy but you could still use another one.

So here are the 5 types of energy I've found useful to categorize:

1. Physical Energy: This is what most people think they are referring to when they say they’re too tired. This is the actual physical feeling of your body. You work on your feet all day and when you get home your body aches and you just need to lie down. I get this after a good riding session, I’m physically tired the next day. Physical rest recharges this energy; physical activity uses it. This can be overridden by Drive.

2. Inspiration (Spark) Energy: I call this your Spark Level because ‘inspiration’ doesn’t quite capture it. This energy lights up inside you when you’re doing something engaging. When you’re fascinated or excited, this energy overrides other tiredness to keep you engaged. It’s recharged by thinking about or watching others do cool things, and used when you actually do that cool thing.

3. Focus Energy: This is what most people actually mean to when they say they’re too tired to do anything after work. It’s a mental tiredness from focusing on necessary (but not engaging) tasks for long stretches of time. It’s also heavily affected by stress. It’s best recharged with sleeping, meditation, quiet walks in nature, and instrumental music with eyes closed. It doesn’t recover well from TV, video games, reading, puzzles, or scrolling (I know what you’re thinking), while those things don’t drain it, they also don’t help. It can be overridden by Spark Energy, Play Energy, or Drive.

4. Play Energy: You gain this from social interaction and play. Whether you’re introverted or extroverted affects how long you can last in a social interaction, but engaging with friends, family, and people who share interests always replenishes this energy—even when you reach your social tolerance. As an introvert who’s spent extended periods of time alone, I always felt better when this energy was replenished. It sometimes helps replenish your Spark Energy too.

5. Drive: This can be motivated by ambition or fear. It’s what you tap into when deadlines loom and you need to ‘get things done.’ It's the internal pressure we all feel. It can be the ‘good’ productive stress, or the ‘bad’ freak-out stress. This energy can be depleted when life is too stressful for too long, but replenishes easily during low-stress periods.

How I view these: Physical Energy comes from the body (muscles and health), Spark Energy from the heart, Focus Energy from the brain, Play Energy from others, Drive from pressure.

Understanding the different energies means knowing which you’re using in any situation. And what’s still available for later.

If you used Focus Energy at work and are mentally tired: you might still watch a video of someone doing something cool, initiate Spark Energy which motivates you to use Physical Energy to exercise. If you’re physically tired, but still have Play Energy, invite someone over to socialize or play a board game.

Just because you’re one kind of tired, doesn’t mean you’re all kinds of tired. Recognizing this can help you plan your days around your health conditions. It can help motivate you when you can’t move off the couch today, but you could feed your Spark Level, or call someone and replenish your Play Energy.

I'm not saying you can't be all kinds of tired or that one kind of tired can't affect the others. However, more and more often I find myself thinking about which kind of tired I actually am and what kind of energy I could still use. Then I use it, which keeps momentum and motivation up.

The Assessment Process in Real Time

Here’s a quick assessment for when you’re one kind of tired but want to see if there’s an activity you can still do:

Quick Energy Check (30 seconds) 

1.  Body scan: What is my Physical Energy Level? Does any part of me ache? Or am I physically struggling somehow (balance etc.)?

2.  Mental check:  What is my Focus Energy? Spark Level? Play Energy? Drive?

3. Override potential: Can my Spark Level override my low Focus? Can I use Play Energy or Drive to help give me a boost?

4. Reality check: Do I feel ready for what I really want to do? If not, is there another thing I can do that still feels beneficial to my goals?

Risk-benefit analysis 

• Will pushing through help or hurt my long-term goals?

• Other times I’ve felt like this, does it usually ease after a few minutes of exercise or get worse?

• What else do I have to get done today? Will I have enough energy after?

Intelligent modification

If you need to modify, remind yourself that this modification was part of the plan for days like these. How much do you need to change? 10%? 50%? Keep the things you can do, and only change or shorten the difficult parts.

Or go from your Option A to your Option B that you prepared from Part 1 of this series. Modification still produces results. Check in with your body frequently and complete the set before stopping.

What Intelligent Pivoting Looks Like

I do this in lessons with students all the time. If something isn’t working with them and their horse, we change tracks: sometimes a few steps back, sometimes a different exercise altogether.

So many times, I’ve planned out my day the night before, then when I wake up... well, I think at this point Option B gets more playdates than Option A.

A pivot is not “giving up,” it’s not weak, it’s not a consolation. It’s coaching yourself as an outside coach would. As I would if you were my student. If you came to me and said “I’m about a 5 out of 10 today, and I need enough energy after for grocery shopping,” I would adjust to accommodate that. That’s what you’re doing for yourself.

Examples:

1. Planned full cardio workout → Low on Physical Energy but have Drive→ Gentle strength training and stretching

2. Full squash training session → Low on Focus/Play Energies but have Physical/Spark Energies → Equipment maintenance and light technique practice

3. Physical training → Low on most energies but still have Spark → Visualization or breath work

You are coaching yourself intelligently. Every pivot is an option for better future planning.

The Energy Banking System

Understanding Your Energy Currency

Let’s start using our energy currencies.

Are you good at saving? I can be, some days. And other days, I’m good at spending.

All the energy types above work the same way. Some days you save, making deposits that add up over time. Other days you make withdrawals.

The Three Account Types

High Energy Days: Use your energy to invest in skills and try new things. Be inspired. Go for it. Move, dance, lift weights, do the Zoomba class, join that badminton practice. This does two things: uses immediate energy but boosts motivation for future sessions. It builds your Spark Level and that’s the real energy we want to bank.

Medium Energy Days: These days you maintain where you’re at. Do semi-easy exercise or familiar skill practice. Appreciate the confidence building you can do on these days. Feel good about what you know and what you've learned so far. Nod to yourself when you nail that technique or surprise yourself with an extra set.

Low Energy Days: These are for gentle movement and light skills. Maybe lying on the couch doing 30 leg lifts while watching a show (been there) or sitting against a wall for 20 arm slides. These days you need to bank Physical Energy. You’ll need to make a withdrawal of your Spark or Drive Energy to do those leg lefts, while the easy ‘active rest’ of the low day helps replenish your other energies for different days.

Knowing when to bank and when to withdraw helps you understand the cyclical nature of your high and low days. It helps you bear your flares and take advantage of your good days.

Strategic Rest as Part of Training

Rest is part of the energy cycle. You know deep down, it makes sense.

So why do we feel guilty and lazy when we rest?

Because we’re not viewing it as purposeful. For a moment, rethink your schedule. Were you ‘lazy’ the day after you went for a surprisingly long hike with friends? Tired after volunteering all weekend? Did you ‘get nothing done’ on Saturday after 5 stressful days at work? Hmmm.... noticing a pattern?

Our brains don’t automatically connect those actions to those consequences. We have to do that consciously. If you start to pay attention to how taxing activities are, you can prepare for the rest needed to recover. It’s a recovery and investment strategy that helps you plan your rest times rather than drag your mood down.

Athletes know they need periods of rest, lighter training, and 'active recovery.' Why shouldn't you? Why come down on yourself for being 'lazy' when even athletes take time off to recover too?

Rest is not ‘no progress,’ it’s part of the training routine.

Reading Your Personal Energy Signals

In this blog post, I talked about what (you didn’t realize) you’ve learned from your health setback or chronic illness. A big part of that was that you’ve already learned to read your energy. Now it’s time to write down what you know. Recognizing your signs will help prevent crashes and flare-ups.

What are your early warning signs of an impending crash or flare-up? What does you’re body do before it goes off the rails? Do you get a migraine? Tip over more easily (me)? Vision changes? Joints ache? Dizziness? Strength change?

Figure out how your body warns you so you can see it coming.

This takes time and patience, but in my experience, it stays pretty consistent. Once you know it, you can spot it. I’ve kept journals, tracked on apps, written on the calendar. Eventually, it becomes second nature to know when something is too much. You sense when you need to stop before reaching the point of no return.

Then it becomes easy to plan which type of energy you can use, and which is off limits today. Which in turn keeps momentum going and your goals stay alive.

Practical Warning Sign Tracking

Start simple. For two weeks, note:

• What you did the day before a crash

• How you felt 2-4 hours before symptoms hit

• Which activities consistently lead to flares

• What your body does differently in the 24 hours before a setback

Look for patterns. Maybe you always get a specific type of headache. Maybe your balance gets worse. Maybe you feel unusually wired or restless. These become your early warning system.

Once you identify your signals, you can:

• Switch from Plan A to Plan B when you notice them

• Bank energy proactively to prevent crashing

• Use different energy types strategically

• Plan recovery time before you need it

Don’t become hypervigilant or fearful. Instead, use the body awareness to prevent crashes and flare-ups in the same way athletes use body awareness to prevent injury and optimize performance.

Environmental Setup for Energy Success

Removing Decision Fatigue

There are things that can be done to make this exercise and training routine easier on you. And if it’s easier on you, you’re probably more likely to do it.

This isn't about creating the perfect training space—it's about removing barriers when you don't need to waste energy figuring out setup. You know those days when even getting dressed is tiring? Having stuff ready becomes the difference between doing something and doing nothing.

You're helping future-you. The you who wakes up with brain fog. The you who suddenly has 15 minutes of energy but can't remember where you put your weights. Environmental setup is leaving a water bottle within reach, your journal already open to the right page, your backup indoor activity ready to go when the weather decides to mess with you. Removing tiny obstacles that become mountains when your body is already working overtime makes a difference in managing energy with unpredictable health.

Prep Strategies That Actually Work:

• Keep "medium energy day" equipment the most accessible: On the good days, you’ll have the energy to pull out the gear for top notch training sessions

• Set up multiple small stations: Resistance bands on the dog kennel, physio exercises taped to the hallway wall, balance ball in the spare room corner

• Have backup plans ready: Pre-written energy level options on your fridge for when thinking is hard

• Weather-proof options: Indoor activities that don't require hauling equipment

Adaptive Equipment Philosophy

Your goal isn't to collect every gadget. Identify the 2-3 tools that genuinely make the difference between "I can't do this today" and "I can do a modified version." Maybe it's wrist weights for sore hands, resistance bands for seated use, or a timer to prevent overdoing it.

The best equipment is what works for you. I disappears into your routine and becomes how you do things.

Energy Management with Unpredictable Health is Possible

The Strategic Mindset Shift

This is coaching yourself as intelligently as any outside coach would. When I work with students and something isn't clicking, we pivot—not because they're failing, but because intelligent adaptation gets better results than stubborn persistence.

Give yourself permission to see every pivot as valuable data for better future planning. That day you switched from Plan A to Plan C? You learned something about your patterns and capacity.

This is what working with your reality looks like in practice—strategic, sustainable, and effective.

You're rationing energy wisely, creating safety nets, and showing yourself the same understanding a coach would. You've got this.

So What's Next?

Have you tried looking at different aspects of your energy to gain the most out of what you have available? Let me know in the comments below!

Coming up next: Now that you know how to manage energy strategically, the next post covers reading your body's long-term patterns so you can make the best 6-month training plan you've ever made!

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Ready to break the crash-and-burn cycle? Get my Free 5-Day Movement Reboot email series and learn to work with your unpredictable energy instead of against it. No equipment needed, no perfect days required—just practical strategies that actually work with your reality. Get started for free!

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Want to see what else you health setback might have taught you?

"Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work." —Ralph Marston

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