The Journey Back to Fitness After Illness: Why Consistency Matters

Getting back into exercise after being sick can be a significant challenge. After several days of illness and inactivity, the body becomes stiff, making even basic movements painful. This reality was recently demonstrated when one fitness enthusiast shared their experience of returning to exercise after feeling unwell for several days.

“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and that did not help me at all,” they explained. “Not exercising did not help me, but made my body to be stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my knees, my toes, everything pained me because of lack of exercise.”

Despite still experiencing symptoms including neck pain, headache, and nasal congestion, they made the decision to start with a short 20-minute workout to reintroduce movement to their body. This approach highlights an important principle in fitness recovery: starting small and building gradually.

The Mental Battle of Fitness

One of the most significant insights shared during this fitness session was about the mental discipline required to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “It is very hard to lose weight but very easy to gain weight,” they noted, emphasizing the importance of self-control.

“You need to do it. Push your body. You force it. Not letting your body control you. Control your body. Control your mouth,” they advised. This perspective underscores the psychological component of fitness that many people struggle with – the ability to override momentary discomfort or cravings for long-term health benefits.

Building Back Gradually

The workout session demonstrated the importance of setting realistic expectations when returning to exercise after illness. Rather than attempting to immediately return to previous performance levels, this fitness enthusiast monitored their endurance carefully, noting that just a few days earlier they “could not sustain jogging for five minutes non-stop.”

They emphasized that fitness doesn’t require professional-level commitment to be beneficial: “We need to exercise anyhow we can. You must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds or 5 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

Health as a Foundation for Achievement

Perhaps the most profound observation shared during this workout session was about the fundamental importance of health to all other life goals: “Your health is what? When you are in good health, you can achieve. It’s only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals.”

This perspective frames exercise not merely as an aesthetic pursuit but as essential maintenance for the body’s basic functionality and a prerequisite for pursuing other aspirations.

Practical Considerations for Returning to Exercise

The session also included practical insights about exercise intensity. For those using treadmills, they explained how speed settings correlate to difficulty levels, noting that their current fitness level allowed them to use up to setting 7, though they had previously been able to handle 9.

They explained that extremely high settings (10-12) would be dangerous at their current fitness level: “If I put it now, I will fall because of my weight.” This honest assessment highlights the importance of adjusting exercise intensity based on current capabilities, not past performance or future goals.

By the end of the short session, they had burned nearly 200 calories and, despite feeling tired, expressed satisfaction at sensing their energy levels returning.

Conclusion

This fitness journey back from illness demonstrates several valuable principles applicable to anyone struggling to maintain or restart an exercise routine: start small, be consistent, adjust expectations based on current capabilities, and recognize that controlling the mind is often more challenging than controlling the body.

Most importantly, it reinforces that fitness is not about perfection but persistence – showing up even when conditions aren’t ideal, and recognizing that each small effort contributes to the larger goal of maintaining health as a foundation for all other life achievements.