The Importance of Exercise After Illness: A Personal Recovery Journey
After several days of feeling sick and avoiding exercise, the consequences became clear – stiffness, pain, and discomfort throughout the body. This experience serves as a powerful reminder of how quickly our physical condition can deteriorate when we stop moving.
“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system. That did not help me at all. Not exercising did not help me, but made my body to be stiff,” the author explains. The lack of movement led to pain in multiple areas – from legs and toes to neck and head.
The Challenge of Getting Back on Track
Returning to exercise after a period of illness presents unique challenges. As experienced firsthand, even a short jogging session can feel demanding when the body is still recovering. However, the improvements can be noticeable quickly – from struggling to sustain jogging for five minutes to gradually building back endurance.
“If it was yesterday I cannot sustain this jogging for five minutes, no stop five minutes jogging. If it was two days ago that was the worst, worst of them was two days ago,” the author shares, noting the progressive improvement day by day.
Mind Over Matter: The Mental Aspect of Exercise
One of the most insightful observations shared is about the mental discipline required to maintain a healthy lifestyle: “It is very hard to dress as nice. But very easy to get weight. Very hard to lose weight. It is too hard to get weight. All you need to do is to push your body. You force it.”
This perspective emphasizes the importance of mental control over physical cravings and impulses: “Control your mouth. Control your belly. Control your craving. Control everything. And then force your body to move. Force it. It is not easy. But you are going to force it.”
Starting Small and Building Gradually
For those intimidated by exercise, especially after a period of inactivity, the author offers practical advice: start small and build gradually. “You must not lift 100 pounds, just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds, so we cannot lift 10 pounds. Just a little by little we are going to be fine.”
This approach acknowledges that fitness is not about immediate perfection but consistent effort. The journey described shows progress from using lower speed settings on exercise equipment to gradually increasing intensity as strength and conditioning improve.
The Connection Between Health and Achievement
Perhaps most importantly, the article highlights the fundamental connection between physical health and our ability to achieve other goals in life: “Your health is what? When you are in good health you can achieve. It’s only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals.”
This perspective serves as motivation for maintaining regular physical activity, even when it’s challenging. As demonstrated through this personal recovery journey, the body responds positively to movement, even after periods of illness or inactivity.
The gradual return to exercise – monitoring time, calories burned, and gradually increasing intensity – offers a template that others can follow when rebuilding their own fitness routines after setbacks.