If you used to have an exercise routine before burning out, you may be wondering when it is safe to start exercising again. The truth is that it differs for everyone, and you know your body better than anyone else. Learning to listen to your body and make adjustments based on what it is telling you is key for burnout recovery. In today’s #straightfromcait episode, Cait Donovan, host and burnout speaker, shares tips for incorporating exercise into your burnout recovery.

Movement is critical for your overall health. Resting is a big part of recovery too, but that does not mean sitting around doing nothing all day every day. Start incorporating movement back into your life slowly and see how it goes. Don’t try to do a high intensity workout or a big run right away as those things are likely to overuse your energy stores and cause you to crash harder. Just adding in a short ten or twenty minute morning walk can make a huge difference. Energy building exercises like Tai Chi and Yin Yoga can be excellent tools to add movement back into your day without pushing your body too far. 

Everyone’s body is different, so only you can really know how much exercise your body is ready to take on. Listening to your body and getting really in tune with how it is feeling is the best thing you can do for your overall burnout recovery. Start by going slow, checking in with your body after every movement, and making sure you are getting enough fuel through what you are eating. 

Quotes

• “The best time to do this 10 or 20 minute walk is as close to sunrise as possible, that way you are starting the proper cascade of hormones in your body right from the get go.” (7:19-7:31 | Cait)

• “Pushing it with exercise when you're feeling strong is a good thing to do, that's a healthy thing to do. But when you're burned out, it can be a little bit tricky, because it overuses your energy.” (10:25-10:33 | Cait)

• “In order to exercise efficiently and to use the energy well, and for your body to get stuff out of it, you should have quality food.” (13:47-13:54 | Cait)

• “Keep moving any way that you can. Add more when you feel up for it, scale back if it exhausts you, and check in with your fuel sources.” (15:22-15:33 | Cait)

• “Listening to what your body is telling you is the most critical factor in your recovery.” (15:39-15:44 | Cait)

Links 

https://instagram.com/carolynbrownie

https://instagram.com/isabelsmithnutrition

https://instagram.com/themetabolismmakeover

https://drinklmnt.com/

Connect with Cait:

Cait Donovan is a keynote speaker, author, and host of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, specializing in burnout, mis/match, and sustainable performance at work. She partners with corporate leaders, teams, and professional associations through keynotes, workshops, and leadership sessions that treat burnout as data, not failure, to help organizations reduce burnout without blame or shame and build healthier, high performing cultures.

To bring Cait to your organization or event, book an inquiry call here: https://bit.ly/bookcait

Learn more about Cait’s speaking work: https://www.caitdonovan.com/speaking

Short on time? Watch this 3-min video: https://bit.ly/caitdreel2025

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