The Importance of Exercise During Recovery: A Personal Journey

After several days of illness and inactivity, getting back to exercise can be challenging but necessary for recovery. This was the experience shared during a recent workout session that highlighted how quickly our bodies can become stiff and painful when we stop moving.

“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system,” the fitness enthusiast explained. “That did not help me at all. Not exercising did not help me, but made my body to be stiff.”

The consequences of this inactivity were felt throughout the body: “I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my nails, my toes, everything pained me. Because of lack of exercise.”

Pushing Through Discomfort

Despite still experiencing symptoms including neck pain, headache, and nasal congestion, the determination to exercise prevailed. This demonstrates an important principle in fitness and health recovery: sometimes we need to gently push our bodies back into motion, rather than waiting until we feel completely well.

The workout consisted of steady jogging on a treadmill, with careful attention to duration and intensity. For someone recovering from illness, this moderate approach is ideal – challenging enough to rebuild strength but not so intense as to cause setbacks.

Mind Over Matter

One of the most powerful insights shared during the session was about mental control: “It is very hard to lose weight. Very easy to gain weight. You need to do it, push your body, you force it. Not letting your body control you, but you control your body, control your mouth.”

This philosophy extends to all aspects of health maintenance: “When you feel like eating, you say no, I will not eat today. I will exercise, just go ahead, control your mouth, control your belly, control everything. And then force your body to move. Force it, it’s not easy, but you’re gonna force it.”

Progress Not Perfection

An encouraging message for those struggling with their fitness journey was the emphasis on starting small: “We must not be professional as well. You must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds. If you cannot lift 10 pounds, just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

This incremental approach applies to cardio exercise as well. The session demonstrated how building endurance happens gradually – from being unable to jog continuously for five minutes the previous day to extending that time significantly just one day later.

Monitoring Progress

Using a treadmill with metrics tracking provided valuable feedback during the workout. Speed settings were adjusted based on current fitness level, with acknowledgment that higher speeds (levels 10-12) weren’t currently appropriate due to weight considerations, but had been achievable in the past and could be again.

By the end of the short 20-minute session, nearly 200 calories had been burned – a tangible sign that energy levels were returning and recovery was well underway.

The key takeaway from this experience is that maintaining some level of physical activity, even during periods of illness or recovery, can significantly impact how quickly we bounce back and prevent the uncomfortable stiffness and pain that comes with extended inactivity.