MS Fighter

We live in a world obsessed with grind culture. “No days off”, “sleep when you’re dead” and “hustle harder” get plastered all over social media like they’re gospel. But here’s the thing— that kind of mindset will destroy you if you’re fighting a battle like MS. People love to talk about how hard they train, how much they lift, how many hours they grind. But what they don’t post is the aftermath—the burnout, the breakdown, the injuries, the days when their bodies say “enough” and there’s nothing left in the tank. Real strength isn’t built by constantly pushing. It’s built by knowing when to pull back, when to recover, and when to sharpen your edge. And if you’ve got MS like me, this isn’t some motivational poster quote—this is survival. It’s a strategy. It’s staying in the fight long enough to win the war.

Rest days aren’t a sign of weakness. They’re sign you’re in control. They’re sign you respect the fight you’re in. And in my world, that makes you a savage. If you want to last—if you want to keep showing up, lifting heavy, boxing hard, and living life with your head held high—you have to learn this: Rest isn’t soft. Rest is a weapon. And the people who get that? They’re the ones still standing when the storm clears.

Understanding the Balance Between Grit and Recovery.

There’s a fine line between grit and self-destruction—and most people have no idea where that line is. We’re told from a young age, especially as men, that toughness means never stopping. Push harder. Ignore the pain. Suck it up. Don’t complain. It’s hammered into us in sports, at work, in life. And honestly, part of that mindset made me who I am—it built my toughness. It kept me lifting when others quit. It got me out of bed on days when MS was kicking my ass. But well…grit without intelligence is reckless. When you live with MS, you quickly realize you’re not playing by the same rules as everyone else. Your nervous system is constantly under pressure. Your body fights fatigue differently. Your recovery is slower, and if you ignore it, it will knock you flat. But that doesn’t mean to give up. It means you fight smarter.

The strongest people I know—fighters, lifters, survivors—aren’t the ones who never rest. They’re the ones who know how to listen to their body without letting their ego call the shots. It’s about knowing when to bite down and push, and when to pull back and regroup. You don’t lose your edge when you rest. You sharpen it. Additionally, recovery doesn’t make you weak—it makes you lethal. Because when you step back into the ring, the gym, or life—you’re stronger, clearer, and more dangerous than you were before. 

It can take you years to figure this out and for me personally, MS taught me this lesson better than anyone. It humbled me. It forced me to respect the balance. And now? I train hard. I rest harder. Because the fight isn’t over after one round—it’s a lifetime war, and I plan to win it.

Signs You’re Overtraining. MS-Specific Red Flags.

Here’s where things get tricky for us fighters living with MS—because fatigue and soreness aren’t as simple as “I had a tough workout” anymore. What might be a good burn or a normal ache for someone else could be a red flag for us. And if you ignore those signs, thinking you’re being tough…you’re actually setting yourself up to get wrecked. Let’s break down the warning signals—both the universal overtraining symptoms and the MS-specific red flags I’ve learned to watch for.

General overtraining signs

These apply pretty much to everyone—but they hit harder when you’ve got a chronic battle going on inside your body.

• Lingering muscle soreness. If you’re still limping or aching deep in your muscles several days after a workout, it’s a sign your recovery isn’t happening fast enough.
• Performance drop. We’re not talking about one off-day. If your strength, speed, or endurance consistently dip, your nervous system might be overloaded.
• Mood swings/irritability. Overtraining jacks up cortisol, wrecking your mood. If you’re snapping at people, frustrated over nothing, or feeling emotionally numb—that’s a big one.
• Restless sleep or insomnia. When your nervous system is fried, you either can’t fall asleep, wake up often, or wake up exhausted.
• Lack of motivation. You don’t just feel physically tired—you mentally dread training. That spark, that fight in you, it’s gone.

MS-specific red flags

Now here’s where it gets personal—because MS changes the game. Ignore these at your own risk.

• Increased numbness or tingling. If post-training you notice worsening numbness, pins and needles, or new sensations, your nervous system’s had enough.
• Muscle weakness that doesn’t match the workout. Ever finish a light session and feel like you got hit by a truck? That’s not a normal fatigue—that’s MS fatigue, and it means you pushed too far.
• Coordination and balance issues. Stumbling more? Grip slipping? Trouble focusing your eyes? Those are your body’s emergency brakes—listen to them.
• Excessive heat sensitivity (Uhthoff’s phenomenon). Training hard raises body temperature, and for a lot of us with MS, that triggers temporary symptoms flare-ups. Blurry vision, heavy limbs, dizziness—it’s not a test of toughness, it’s a signal.
• Cognitive fog. Can’t focus, process words, or think straight hours after a session: That’s your nervous system on overload.

You should not treat these signs as excuses—you should treat them like vital intel. If I notice one or two creeping in, I dial things back. If several hit at once, I know it’s time for a rest day, lighter work, or serious recovery. I don’t let my ego override my instincts anymore—because the mission is to stay in the fight, not to burn out early. The key to lasting strength is knowing when to punch, and when to guard up. And these signs? They’re your corner man yelling for you to cover up and regroup.

What Active Rest Means for MS Fighters.

When most people hear “rest day”, they picture lying on the couch, binge-watching Netflix, and eating junk food because “it’s recovery, bro.” But for true warriors? Rest doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means doing the right things—things that help our bodies bounce back, sharpen our minds, and prep us for the next battle. Active rest is not laziness—it’s a strategic warfare. It’s choosing to move in ways that promote recovery instead of digging the hole deeper.

What it looks like for me

On my active rest days, I’m still in motion—I’m just not wrecking myself in the gym.

• Mobility work. I focus on stretching, foam rolling, and joint mobility drills. MS tightens muscles, messes with nerve signals, and locks you up if you’re not careful. Staying loose keeps me ready to fight another day.
• Light cardio. A walk with my family. Shadowboxing. It’s not about breaking records—it’s about blood flow, oxygen, and shaking off stiffness. It helps keep the MS fatigue monster from tightening its grip.
• Cold therapy. Ice baths or cold showers. Not just to reduce inflammation, but to mentally reset. It’s brutal in the best way—clears my head, resets my nervous system, and reminds me I’m still in control.
• Breathwork. Yeah, sounds soft…but it isn’t in my opinion. Learning to control your breathing calms your nervous system, sharpens your focus, and reduces stress—three things that MS loves to attack.
• Gentle strength work. Sometimes, I’ll pick one or two light exercises—bodyweight squats, band pull-aparts, kettlebell swings—just to keep my body moving without overloading it.

With MS, doing nothing leads to stiffness, weakness, and worsening symptoms. But going too hard leads to flare-ups, burnout, and breakdowns. Active rest is how you stay sharp without falling apart. It’s how you stay connected to your fighter’s mindset while letting your body recover. The truth is, recovery isn’t a passive process—it’s active, intentional, and it’s where real warriors separate themselves from the wannabes. Anyone can train hard. Not everyone can recover smart. But that’s the key to lasting strength, especially with chronic diagnosis—keeping yourself in the game for the long haul.

How I Personally Approach Rest Days.

I’ll be straight with you—it took me years to figure this out and I’m still struggling to cope with that. In my early training days, I treated rest days like a punishment. Like I was weak for needing them. Like if I wasn’t lifting, grinding, and chasing that next personal best, I was falling behind. MS change that view of mine. It didn’t ask for permission—it forced me to respect my body, learn my limits, and rebuild my mindset from the ground up. Now, rest days aren’t a sign of weakness. They’re part of my strategy, part of my fight plan.

I schedule rest like I schedule my training. It’s not a random thing, it’s not “if I feel tired, I’ll skip the gym”. No. Rest days are planned. They’re built into my weekly split, and I stick to them just as strictly as my workout days. Why? Because discipline isn’t just about showing up—it’s about knowing when to pull back. I usually take 2 full rest days a week

I listen to my body, but I don’t baby it. Some days, I wake up drained, heavy, foggy—classic MS fatigue. On such days, I check in:

• Is this true exhaustion, or just me being lazy?
• Will light movement help, or make it worse?
• Do I need stillness, or would a walk clear my head?

I’ve trained myself to tell the difference. If it’s mental fog, I move. If it’s my nervous system saying “time out”, I respect it. But in no way I baby myself. There’s a difference between honoring your limits and hiding behind them.

I try to stay active, always…even on full rest days, I don’t just lay around. I move with purpose

• Stretching in the morning.
• Taking my daughter to the park.
• Going for a casual walk with my wife.

I double down on recovery habits. For me, rest days aren’t just about skipping the gym—they’re about stacking recovery, i.e., nutrition, sleep, hydration, mental reset.

Rest Like a Fighter. Not Like a Quitter.

Here’s the truth most people don’t get—rest isn’t retreat. It’s a strategy. The strongest warriors, in the ring or in life, don’t burn themselves out chasing glory every single day. They know when to strike, and they know when to step back, recover, and come back sharper. Living with MS makes this even more critical. You can’t afford to ignore the signals. You can’t afford to let pride drag you down. You need to be smarter, tougher, and more disciplined than ever before. Not just when you’re lifting heavy or grinding through the hard days—but when you’re choosing to rest, recover, and rebuild. Because strength isn’t just about how much you can take—it’s about how well you rise after you’ve rested. Like the great Muhammad Ali said

“It isn’t mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

For us MS fighters, those pebbles are bad habits, ignored signals, skipped rest days, and a mindset that thinks rest equals weakness. Rip those pebbles out. Stay sharp. Stay dangerous. Stay in the fight. 

If this post hit home for you—drop a comment below. Tell me how you handle your rest days, how you stay disciplined, and what recovery rituals keep you battle-ready. I want to hear from fellow fighters walking this same line.