The Importance of Consistency in Your Exercise Journey
After several days of feeling unwell, the reality of how quickly our bodies can decline without regular movement becomes painfully apparent. This is exactly what happened when illness forced a pause in regular exercise routines, resulting in stiffness, pain, and discomfort throughout the body.
“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and it did not do any good for my system,” shares a fitness enthusiast who recently returned to their workout routine. “Not exercising did not help me at all. It 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
Returning to exercise after a break presents its own set of challenges. The body resists, muscles complain, and energy levels fluctuate. “It is very hard to exercise, but very easy to gain weight. Very hard to lose weight, very easy to get weight,” notes our fitness advocate.
The key, they suggest, is in taking control: “You need to push your body. Force it. Don’t let your body control you – control your body. Control your mouth. When you feel like having a snack, you say ‘no, I will not eat today. I will exercise instead.’ Just go ahead. Control your mouth. Control your belly.”
Progress Is Visible
Even in a short time, progress becomes evident. “If it was yesterday, I could not sustain jogging for five minutes without stopping. Two days ago was the worst,” they reflect while pushing through a continuous jogging session. The body responds quickly to renewed activity, with energy levels rebounding and stamina improving.
The Accessibility of Exercise
One important message stands out – exercise doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective. “We must not be professional. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds or 5 pounds. If we cannot lift 10 pounds, just little by little, we are going to be fine.”
This graduated approach applies to cardio exercise as well. Using a treadmill with various settings, our fitness advocate explains they currently avoid the highest speeds: “When I lose weight, I’ll start running at 10. I used to put it up to seven before. I used to put up to nine. But now I can do up to seven, but not 10, not 11, not 12. Twelve is the highest.”
The Value of Health
Perhaps the most powerful insight comes from recognizing how fundamental health is to everything else we hope to achieve: “Your health is what? When you are in good health…it’s only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goal. That is why we need to run. We need to exercise anyhow we can.”
As sweat begins to form and energy returns, the transformation from just days earlier is remarkable. “I’m doing better today. My energy level is coming back,” they share, demonstrating that consistency and determination can quickly reverse the effects of inactivity.
Whether you’re returning from illness or simply looking to begin a fitness journey, remember that small, consistent efforts compound over time, creating meaningful progress toward better health.