The Comeback Journey: How to Restart Your Fitness Routine After Illness

Returning to exercise after being sick can be a challenging experience. As demonstrated in a recent fitness session, even a few days without physical activity can leave the body feeling stiff and unresponsive.

“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 the fitness enthusiast. “Not exercising did not help me, but made my body to be stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my ankles, my toes, everything pained me. Because of lack of exercise.”

The Struggle is Real

One of the most challenging aspects of fitness is consistency, especially when recovering from illness. “It is very hard to exercise. But very easy to get weight. Very hard to lose weight. Very easy to get weight,” notes the fitness practitioner.

The key, it seems, lies in mental discipline: “All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not let your body control you, but control your body. Control your mouth. When you feel like eating a snack, you say no. I will not eat today’s snack. I will exercise instead.”

Starting Small

The journey back to fitness doesn’t require professional-level intensity. As the session demonstrated, it’s about starting where you are: “We must not be professional. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

This gradual approach applies to cardio exercise as well. Using a treadmill with adjustable speeds up to level 12, the fitness enthusiast currently works at level 7, acknowledging that higher speeds would be too challenging at their current weight and fitness level.

Monitoring Progress

Modern exercise equipment offers helpful features for tracking progress: “It constantly shows the time, calories burned, and speed limit.” This data provides immediate feedback and motivation as fitness levels improve.

The Health Connection

Perhaps most importantly, the session emphasized the vital connection between health and achievement: “Your health is wealth. When you are in good health, you can achieve all. It’s only when you are not healthy that you cannot achieve your goals. That is why we need to run. We need to exercise. Anyhow we can.”

After just one short session, the improvement was already noticeable: “My energy level is coming back!” This demonstrates the relatively quick positive response our bodies can have to renewed physical activity, even after a period of illness.

By committing to consistent exercise, starting small, and gradually building intensity, anyone can restart their fitness journey after illness or inactivity.