The Journey Back to Fitness: Overcoming Illness and Embracing Exercise

Getting back to exercise after illness can be a challenging journey. After several days of feeling sick and avoiding physical activity, the consequences become clear – stiffness, pain, and a general decline in wellbeing.

“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,” shares a fitness enthusiast who recently returned to their workout routine. “Not exercising did not help me, but made my body to be stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my muscles, my toes, everything pained me. Because of lack of exercise.”

The Importance of Pushing Through

One of the most challenging aspects of maintaining fitness is the mental battle. As our fitness advocate notes, “It is very hard to lose weight, but very easy to gain weight. All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not letting your body control you, but you control your body.”

This mindset extends beyond just exercise to overall health habits. “Control your mouth. Control your belly. Control your cravings. Control everything. And then force your body to move. Force it. It’s not easy. But you’re gonna force it.”

Starting Small and Building Up

For those looking to get back into fitness after a break, the key is not to expect too much too soon. “Your health is what matters. When you are in good health, you can achieve all. It’s only when you are unwell that you cannot achieve your goals. That is why we need to run. We need to exercise anyhow we can.”

The fitness journey doesn’t require professional-level intensity from the beginning. “We must not lift 100 pounds to start. Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Five pounds. If we cannot lift 10 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

Tracking Progress

Using fitness equipment with tracking features can help monitor progress and maintain motivation. “The treadmill has a timer, has calories, has incline balance. It also shows the speed – if you are using three, you are using two, you are using five. Five is speed running.”

As fitness improves, intensity can increase gradually. “When I lose weight, I start running at 10, because that way you have to really move. If I put it now at 10, I would fall because of my weight. But I used to put it at seven. Before, I used to put up to nine.”

The Reward of Persistence

After just a short session of jogging, the results were already noticeable. “My energy level is coming back. I’m going to do it,” was the determined affirmation at the end of the workout.

Getting back to fitness after illness is challenging, but with persistence and a gradual approach, it’s possible to rebuild strength, endurance, and overall wellbeing. The key is simply to start, however small, and keep pushing forward.