The Power of Exercise: Pushing Through Sickness to Regain Energy
There’s something truly remarkable about how physical activity can transform our health, even when we’re feeling under the weather. After several days of illness and inactivity, the impact on the body becomes noticeable – stiffness sets in, muscles tighten, and overall discomfort increases.
One fitness enthusiast recently shared their journey of returning to exercise after feeling sick for several days. The lack of physical activity had taken its toll, causing stiffness throughout their body – from legs to toes – and making even basic stretching painful.
“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and it did not do any good for my system,” they explained. “Not exercising did not help me, but made my body stiff.”
Despite still experiencing symptoms including a headache and nasal congestion, they made the decision to engage in a short 20-minute workout to begin rebuilding their stamina. The difference between their current session and attempts from previous days was notable – just 24 hours earlier, they couldn’t sustain even five minutes of jogging without stopping.
Mental Discipline: The Key to Fitness Success
The fitness journey shared highlights an important aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle – mental discipline. As was aptly pointed out: “It is very hard to dress nice. But very easy to gain weight. Very hard to lose weight. Very easy to gain weight.”
The solution? “All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Don’t let your body control you. Control your body. Control your mouth.”
This philosophy of mind over matter extends to controlling cravings and making conscious choices about nutrition. The mental battle is often the most challenging aspect of fitness, requiring consistent effort to overcome the path of least resistance.
Starting Small: The Progressive Approach
For those intimidated by fitness, the advice was clear – start where you are with what you have: “We must not be professional. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Five pounds. If we cannot lift 10 pounds, just little by little, we are going to be fine.”
This progressive approach applies to cardiovascular exercise as well. The individual mentioned gradually working up to higher speeds on a treadmill, noting that at their peak fitness level, they could handle speed settings of 7-9, though not the maximum settings of 10-12.
Monitoring Progress
Tracking metrics plays an important role in maintaining motivation. During the session, they monitored several data points including calories burned (approaching 200 during the livestream), time elapsed, and intensity levels.
Most importantly, they noticed their energy returning throughout the workout – a testament to how movement can reinvigorate the body even when recovering from illness.
The key takeaway? Our health is our most valuable asset, and maintaining it requires consistent effort. As they concluded, “Your health is what? When you are in good health… 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.”
Whether you’re recovering from illness or simply looking to improve your fitness, remember that every journey begins with a single step – or in this case, a 20-minute workout that signals the return of strength and vitality.