The Journey Back to Fitness After Illness: Why Consistency Matters

Returning to exercise after being sick can be challenging, but it’s often the most important time to get your body moving again. After several days of illness that left her feeling stiff and achy, one fitness enthusiast shares her experience of pushing through discomfort to regain her strength and stamina.

“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system,” she explains. “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.”

The Mental Battle of Exercise

Getting back into a fitness routine requires mental fortitude. As the body begins to recover from illness, that first workout can feel particularly challenging. However, the rewards of pushing through are immediate – increased energy, improved mood, and the satisfaction of overcoming physical limitations.

“It is very hard to lose weight, but very easy to gain weight,” she notes. “All you need to do is push your body. Force it. Don’t let your body control you – you control your body. Control your mouth. When you feel like eating a snack, you say, ‘No, I will not eat today. I will exercise instead.'”

Progress Over Perfection

An important lesson emerges from this fitness journey: you don’t need to be a professional athlete to benefit from regular exercise. Starting small and building gradually is key to sustainable fitness.

“We need to run, we need to exercise anyhow we can. You must not be professional. You must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds. Little by little, we are going to define our fitness level.”

Monitoring Progress

Using fitness technology can help track improvements and maintain motivation. A treadmill with features that monitor calories burned, steps taken, incline, and speed can provide valuable feedback about your workout intensity and progress.

“The treadmill shows calories, number of steps, distance, incline, and speed. Speed level 5 is moderate, and 6 is challenging. Levels 10-12 are the highest, but you have to work up to those gradually to avoid injury.”

The Reward of Persistence

By the end of a 20-minute workout, the transformation is noticeable. From feeling cold and sluggish at the beginning to sweating and energized by the end, the short exercise session proves its worth.

“I was cold before, but now I’m sweating. My energy level is coming back,” she observes near the end of her workout, having burned nearly 200 calories.

The journey back to fitness after illness isn’t always straightforward, but each step forward is progress. By listening to your body while gently challenging its limits, you can rebuild strength, stamina, and health – one workout at a time.