Overtraining and Illness

I found this link from someone on the Cathe forums. It's all about the fine line between exercising enough for it to benefit your health and exercising to the extent that it hurts your immune system. I have wondered if this has anything to do with how much I've been sick lately. I know I don't exercise nearly as much as some of my online fitness friends, but maybe I just can't do as much as they can, for some reason. I also wonder if it has something to do with just being run down and tired, but still trying to work out (though I'm not doing that this particular week). I often don't get enough sleep. I know I need more sleep than my husband but I usually don't get much more, and I'm often tired. So maybe I'd have a better immune system if I just got more sleep.

I've also been getting some ALL CAPS advice from online friends that I should go to a doctor already. OK, maybe, but I have to figure out when. Tomorrow I really need to get groceries, so perhaps I can arrange an appointment to work around my shopping trip. I'm a stay-at-home mom, so theoretically I have loads of free time, but I also have to do things around getting the big one to and from school and the little one down for his nap, etc. Plus it's not a lot of fun to take a sick toddler along with you to the doctor. I'm just sayin'.

So, how about you, occasional readers out there in internet land? How does your health relate to your workouts? Obviously working out is usually really great for our bodies, but how much is too much? The only answer I know is that it's going to be different for every individual and lifestyle. I'm still figuring out what will work for me. For now I have to heal from my illness and my injuries before I can really start working out full strength again.