Tracking More Than Steps
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written anything, and honestly, that’s because I’ve been tired. Not just “need a nap” tired, but that deeper kind of fatigue that sticks around no matter how much you sleep. The kind that makes you realize something’s off and you’ve been running on fumes without even noticing.
I wear a Garmin Vívioactive 5—mostly because I like tracking my walks and steps—but over time, I’ve started paying more attention to the other data it gives me. Things like heart rate, respiration, recovery, and especially the “Body Battery.” It’s basically a way to measure how charged (or drained) you are based on sleep, activity, and stress.
I even wear it overnight, which has been eye-opening. Seeing how my sleep breaks down—light, deep, REM—and how that affects my recovery has taught me a lot about what my body’s actually doing when I think I’m “resting.” Spoiler: some nights, most nights, not much!
Since being diagnosed with MS, I’ve learned how important it is to listen to those signals instead of brushing them off. The data from my watch has become more than just numbers—it’s information that helps me understand what my body’s trying to say. When my energy dips, when my sleep doesn’t restore me, when my body battery never seems to recharge—it’s all valuable feedback. It reminds me that rest isn’t a luxury; it’s part of how I take care of myself and manage what’s going on beneath the surface.
What’s funny is that as a parent of athletes, I’ve heard the phrase “rest and recovery” for years. The boys would say it constantly—how important it was for preventing injury, how it made them stronger, how performance depended on it. I believed it for them, of course. But I don’t think I ever really applied it to myself until recently.
Somewhere along the way, we start thinking rest is optional—that we can just push through because we have things to do and people counting on us. But the truth is, your body will always find a way to get your attention. Sometimes it whispers, sometimes it yells, but it always tells the truth.
For me, having those reminders right on my wrist keeps me accountable. It’s not about chasing perfect numbers—it’s about noticing patterns, discussing the patterns with my doctors, and actually listening.
Fatigue isn’t failure. It’s feedback.
And learning to see it that way—to pause, recharge, and advocate for what your body needs—is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned lately.
Because when you learn to honor what your body is telling you, you give yourself the chance to show up stronger, clearer, and more present—in every part of your life.
