The Importance of Exercise After Illness: A Personal Journey to Recovery
Getting back into exercise after being sick can be challenging, but it’s essential for restoring energy levels and overall well-being. After several days of illness and physical inactivity, the body becomes stiff, muscles tighten, and even simple movements can cause discomfort.
“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 started working out again after illness. “Not exercising did not help me at all, but made my body to be stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my nails, my toes, everything pained me because of lack of exercise.”
Taking the First Steps Back
The initial workout after recovering from illness doesn’t need to be intense. Even a short 20-minute session can help reawaken the body and begin the process of rebuilding strength and stamina.
Despite still experiencing some symptoms like headache and congestion, getting moving again proved beneficial. “I still feel my neck, my head is aching, my nose is growing, but I will be fine,” notes the determined exerciser.
Progress Day by Day
The improvement between consecutive workout sessions can be remarkable. “Yesterday, I cannot sustain jogging for five minutes. But today, I can go,” the fitness enthusiast observed, highlighting how quickly the body can respond to renewed activity.
This rapid improvement serves as motivation to continue the exercise regimen despite lingering symptoms. “No more laying down. No more sickness. No more headache. I’m back after being down.”
Mind Over Matter
One of the most challenging aspects of returning to exercise is the mental battle. It requires pushing through discomfort and taking control of the body rather than letting the body dictate limitations.
“It is very hard to lose weight but very easy to gain weight. All you need to do is to push your body. Force it. Not letting your body control you. Control your body. Control your mouth. That’s when you feel like it is your trauma. You say no. I will not eat today’s trauma. I will exercise.”
Start Small and Build Gradually
For those looking to begin or resume an exercise routine, the advice is clear: start where you are, not where you think you should be.
“We need to exercise anyhow we can. 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.”
Tracking Progress
Using equipment with tracking features can help monitor improvement over time. Treadmills, for instance, can show metrics like time, calories burned, distance, incline, and speed.
“The treadmill shows timer, calories, distance, incline, and speed. The speed limit goes up to 12. When I was lighter, I could run at speed 10. Now I can do up to 7, but not 10, 11, or 12.”
The Health Connection
Perhaps most importantly, maintaining physical health through regular exercise is directly connected to achieving life goals.
“Your health is wealth. When you are in good health, you can achieve. 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.”
As the workout concluded with nearly 200 calories burned, the sense of accomplishment was evident: “My energy level is coming back.” This simple statement encapsulates the fundamental reason why exercise remains crucial, especially when recovering from illness.