The Journey Back to Fitness After Illness: Why Exercise Matters

Getting back into exercise after being sick can be challenging, but it’s an essential part of recovery. After several days of illness and inactivity, the body becomes stiff, uncomfortable, and weak – a lesson learned firsthand by one fitness enthusiast who recently shared their experience.

“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised, and that did not help me at all,” they explained. “Not exercising did not help me, but made my body stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my nails, my toes, everything pained me because of lack of exercise.”

The Challenge of Getting Back on Track

Despite still experiencing symptoms like headache and congestion, taking those first steps toward renewed activity proved beneficial. The improvement was noticeable even from one day to the next – unable to sustain jogging for five minutes without stopping initially, but quickly building back endurance.

“No more lying down, no more sickness, no more headache. I’m back after the pandemic, honestly,” they shared with determination. The energy levels visibly returned with each minute of activity.

The Weight Management Reality

One of the most candid observations shared during this fitness journey touches on a universal truth about weight management: “It is very hard to lose weight, very easy to gain weight.” This simple reality is what makes consistent exercise so important.

The key, according to this fitness advocate, is taking control rather than being controlled: “Not letting your body control you – control your body, control your mouth. That’s why when you feel like eating something unhealthy, you say no. Just go ahead, control your mouth, control your belly, control everything. And then force your body to move. Force it. It’s not easy. But you are going to force it.”

Starting Small Is Still Starting

For those intimidated by fitness, there’s an encouraging reminder that perfection isn’t the goal – consistency is: “We must not be professional. You must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds. If you cannot lift 10 pounds, just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

This gradual approach applies to cardio exercise as well. Using a treadmill with various settings, the fitness enthusiast acknowledges current limitations while remembering past capabilities: “Five is speed running. It has also speed on seven. When I lose weight, I’ll start running 10. If I put it now, I will fall because of my weight. But I used to put seven, I used to put up to nine before.”

The Health-Achievement Connection

Perhaps the most profound insight shared is the connection between health and achievement: “Your health is what? When you are in good health, you can do it. It’s only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals. That is why we need to run, we need to exercise anyhow we can.”

This journey of returning to exercise after illness serves as a reminder of how quickly our bodies can decondition – and how important it is to rebuild gradually but consistently after health setbacks.