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104-Week Watch Challenge · Health Pillar

I Got The Flu During Week 37. Should I Push Through — Or Use A Discovery Vitality Rest Week?

When I felt the chills coming on midway through Week 37 of my 104-Week Challenge, my first thought wasn't whether I was sick. It was whether I would lose my streak. Here's what I did — and the bigger lesson it taught me about consistency, recovery, and what long-term health habits actually look like.

My Week 37 Experience

It came on quickly. Chills. That cold, shivery feeling when you pull the blanket up and it still doesn't help. Goosebumps. Fatigue that made even sitting upright feel like effort. The kind of tired where your body is not asking you to slow down — it is telling you to stop.

I had completed 36 weeks of my 104-Week Watch Challenge without missing a week. And now, halfway through Week 37, I was sitting in bed wondering whether I should lace up my shoes and go for a walk anyway.

I opened the Discovery app instead. I checked my Rest Weeks. I had two available. I used one. Discovery credited the week immediately. My streak was protected. And I went back to bed — which, as it turned out, was exactly the right decision.

What Is A Discovery Vitality Rest Week?

According to Discovery Vitality, Rest Weeks are built-in allowances within the Vitality Active Rewards programme. They allow members to miss a qualifying week without losing their fitness streak or their device benefit — such as the Apple Watch benefit — for that period.

Based on publicly available Discovery information at the time of writing, members receive a limited number of Rest Weeks per year. These are credited automatically when used, and they protect your cumulative benefit without requiring you to hit your weekly activity targets.

Programme rules, the number of available Rest Weeks, and qualifying criteria may change over time. Please verify current details directly with Discovery before making decisions based on this information. You can find Discovery Vitality programme details at discovery.co.za/vitality.

AS Brokers Insight

Why Discovery Built Rest Weeks Into The Programme

Rest Weeks exist because Discovery understands something fundamental about real human behaviour: life happens. People get sick. Family emergencies occur. Business trips disrupt routine. A public holiday lands in the middle of a planned exercise week.

A health programme that punishes you for being human is not a sustainable health programme. Rest Weeks are Discovery's acknowledgement that long-term consistency matters more than one perfect week.

They are not a loophole. They are a feature — designed to keep you in the programme through the difficult weeks, not to encourage laziness through the easy ones.

Should You Exercise When You Have Flu?

This is where the medical guidance gets more nuanced than most fitness content suggests. The principle commonly used by sports medicine professionals is often called the Above-the-Neck vs Below-the-Neck rule. It is a simple framework — though your own body's signals and your doctor's guidance always take priority over any rule of thumb.

Above The Neck

Mild symptoms only

Runny nose. Slight congestion. Mild sore throat. No fever. No body aches. If symptoms are only above the neck and you feel reasonably well, very light movement may be acceptable — though rest often supports faster recovery.

Below The Neck

Rest. Full stop.

Chest tightness. Body aches. Fever. Chills. Fatigue. Nausea. If symptoms are below the neck, exercise is not advisable. Pushing through can prolong illness and in some cases create genuine cardiac risk.

When You Should Definitely Rest

There are situations where exercise during illness is not just inadvisable — it is actively harmful. Research suggests the following are clear signals to stop and recover completely:

→You have a fever above 38°C. Your body is fighting infection. Exercise raises core temperature further and places additional stress on the immune system.
→You have body aches and chills — as I did in Week 37. These are signs of systemic illness, not surface-level sniffles.
→You feel extreme fatigue. During illness, your body redirects energy to the immune response. Exercise competes with that process.
→You have chest tightness, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations. These require medical attention — not a gym session.
→You are contagious. Gyms, parkruns, and group fitness classes are shared spaces. Resting protects others too.

This article is educational only and does not constitute medical or health advice. If you are unsure whether it is safe to exercise during illness, consult your doctor or healthcare provider.

"Missing one week in a 104-week journey is not failure. It is evidence that you are playing a long game — and that you are honest enough to know the difference between a rest day and a give-up day."

Why Missing A Week Is Not Failure

A 104-week challenge spans two full years. It includes roughly 730 days of weather changes, family commitments, work pressures, travel disruptions — and yes, illness.

The people who succeed in long-term health journeys are rarely those who never miss a day. They are the ones who miss a day, acknowledge it without drama, and show up again the next day.

The Discovery Rest Week is a practical tool that makes showing up again easier. Use it when your body genuinely needs it. That is exactly what it is there for.

AS Brokers Insight

The Psychology Of Long-Term Habits

Here is what Week 37 revealed about habit psychology: when I got sick, my first thought was not about my health. It was about my streak.

That is actually a sign that the habit is working. The streak has become something I care about. But it also exposed a trap many people fall into during long challenges — the belief that the number matters more than the reason behind the number.

The goal of a 104-week challenge is not a perfect streak. The goal is to become someone who prioritises their health consistently over time. Sometimes that means exercising when you don't feel like it. And sometimes it means resting when your body is telling you to stop. Both are expressions of the same commitment.

What A 104-Week Challenge Has Taught Me So Far

I am at Week 37 as I write this. I still have 67 weeks ahead of me. Here is what the journey has taught me so far:

Consistency beats intensity.

A moderate walk every week for two years does more for your long-term health than an intense gym phase that lasts three months and then stops.

Recovery is not a weakness.

Rest is part of the programme. Your body adapts during recovery — not during the workout itself. Illness forces a version of this lesson that training alone rarely does.

Tools like Discovery Vitality work if you use them correctly.

Rest Weeks are not there to be hoarded and never used. They exist precisely for moments like Week 37 — to keep you in the programme through real-life disruptions.

Health creates options — but only if you protect it.

Pushing through flu symptoms to protect a streak is not discipline. It is the opposite of what this challenge is meant to teach you. Health is the asset. Protect it first.

Watch the video below where I walk through exactly what happened in Week 37 and how I made the decision to use a Rest Week — including what I would tell anyone facing the same moment.

How To Use A Discovery Vitality Rest Week

Based on my own experience and publicly available Discovery Vitality information, the process is straightforward. Always verify these steps in your Discovery app, as programme details may be updated over time:

01 / Open the Discovery app and navigate to your Vitality Active Rewards section.
02 / Check how many Rest Weeks you have available — these are typically displayed in the fitness tracking or rewards section of the app.
03 / If you have Rest Weeks available and are genuinely unwell or unable to meet your targets for legitimate reasons, apply a Rest Week to the current week.
04 / Discovery credits the week automatically once applied — protecting your streak and device benefit allocation for that period.
05 / Recover fully. Return to your programme the following week without pressure or guilt.

AS Brokers is an independent financial advisory practice and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Discovery Limited. Programme rules, Rest Week allocations, and qualifying criteria may change. Verify current information directly with Discovery at discovery.co.za/vitality.

Common Questions

Will I lose my Apple Watch benefit if I use a Rest Week?

Based on publicly available Discovery information at the time of writing, Rest Weeks are designed to protect your streak and device benefit during weeks when you cannot meet your targets. Programme rules may change — please verify current Rest Week conditions directly with Discovery before relying on this protection.

How many Rest Weeks do I get on Discovery Vitality?

According to Discovery Vitality, members receive a limited number of Rest Weeks per year. The exact number may vary based on your membership type and programme tier. I had two available at Week 37. Check your current allocation directly in the Discovery app.

Is it safe to exercise when you have a cold or flu?

This depends on your specific symptoms. The general principle used by sports medicine professionals is the above-the-neck vs below-the-neck rule: mild symptoms above the neck may be compatible with very light movement; symptoms below the neck — including fever, chills, body aches, and fatigue — are a clear signal to rest completely. When in doubt, consult your doctor.

Can I save my Rest Weeks, or do they expire?

Rest Week expiry and rollover rules are set by Discovery and may be updated from year to year. Verify this directly with Discovery or your Discovery-linked financial adviser to ensure you understand your current allocation before the year ends.

What Week 37 Taught Me

I am still in this challenge. I documented the setback because setbacks are part of the journey — and the people who share only their perfect weeks are not telling you the full story.

Week 37 reminded me that health is not a performance. It is a practice. Discovery Vitality Rest Weeks exist to support that practice through the weeks when real life gets in the way. Using one when you genuinely need it is not cheating. It is wisdom.

If you are currently sick and wondering whether to push through: rest. Your streak will survive. Your programme will survive. And when you return next week, you will be stronger — not just physically, but in your understanding of what long-term consistency really means.

When You're Sick: Your Quick Checklist

✓ Assess your symptoms honestly — above the neck or below?
✓ If below the neck (fever, chills, aches, chest symptoms) — rest fully. No exceptions.
✓ Open the Discovery app and check how many Rest Weeks you have available.
✓ Use a Rest Week if you cannot safely meet your targets this week.
✓ Recover fully before returning to your programme — do not rush back.
✓ Remind yourself: one missed week does not define a 104-week journey.
✓ Verify current Rest Week rules directly with Discovery before each year ends.

Disclosure: Albert Schuurman is an authorised independent financial adviser (AS Brokers CC, FSP 17273) and may earn remuneration from products or services discussed on this website. Information presented may be sourced from product providers, brochures, fact sheets, official websites, publicly available information, and industry publications. Product features, rewards, benefits, fees, returns, programme rules, and terms may change over time. Information is believed to be accurate at the date of publication but should be verified directly with the relevant provider before any decision is made. AS Brokers is an independent financial advisory practice and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Discovery Limited. Programme rules, benefits, points allocations, and qualification criteria may change — verify current information directly with Discovery.

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalised financial, health, medical, or exercise advice. Note: Market values can rise or fall, and past performance is not a guarantee of future outcomes.