Rehabilitation Was Not Exercise - It Was Healing - The Day I Finally Understood Why It Made Me So Sleepy - Thursday, July 23, 2026, Reiwa8

Today, I felt a great sense of relief.

It has been one week since my arm sling was removed.

Every day, I continue the ten stick exercises my physical therapist taught me, along with wall-reaching exercises and movements similar to wiping a floor with a cloth.

Compared with the activities I used to do, these exercises seem very gentle.

In the past, I used to swim 1,000 to 1,200 meters. I also enjoyed Zumba and belly dancing.

To be honest, I kept thinking, "This is hardly exercise."

Yet every time I finished my rehabilitation exercises, I became extremely sleepy and tired.

I kept wondering, "Why would such simple movements make me so exhausted?"

For the past week, I simply could not understand it.

Today, I finally learned the reason.

Rehabilitation is not about building physical fitness. It is about helping injured bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints heal.

While I cannot see it, my body is constantly repairing itself, and that healing process requires far more energy than I had imagined.

That is why I can feel sleepy even after very gentle exercises.

When I learned this, I felt a tremendous sense of relief.

The thought, "There must be something wrong with me if I get this tired from such easy exercises," quietly disappeared.

The body I have now is different from the one that used to swim long distances.

Right now, it is a body that is taking one careful step at a time toward healing my fractured shoulder.

Perhaps this sleepiness is simply my body's gentle way of saying, "Please let me rest so I can continue healing."

Just knowing the reason made my anxiety much smaller.

Today, I learned one more important lesson about my own body.

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