The Journey Back to Fitness: Overcoming Illness Through Exercise
Getting back into exercise after being sick can be challenging, but it’s often the best remedy for regaining energy and improving overall well-being. After several days of feeling unwell, returning to a workout routine proved to be the turning point in recovery.
“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 shared. “Not exercising did not help me at all, but made my body to be stiff.”
The Consequences of Inactivity
A lack of physical activity during illness can lead to unexpected discomfort. “I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my nails, my toes, everything pained me because of lack of exercise,” was the realization that prompted a return to movement despite lingering symptoms.
Even while experiencing headaches and congestion, getting up and moving proved beneficial. The improvement was noticeable quickly: “Today I was going to go on. Yesterday was the worst. The worst of them was two days ago.”
The Importance of Pushing Through
One of the key insights shared during the workout was the importance of self-discipline when it comes to fitness: “It is very hard to dress nice, but very easy to gain weight. Very hard to lose weight, very easy to gain weight.”
The solution? “All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Don’t let your body control you—control your body. Control your mouth.” This perspective emphasizes that fitness requires mental strength as much as physical effort.
Starting Small for Long-term Success
For those looking to begin or restart their fitness journey, the advice is clear: start with manageable goals. “We need to exercise anyhow we can. We 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 be fine.”
Using a treadmill with various settings allows for personalization of workouts based on current fitness levels. “If you’re using 3, you’re using 2, you’re using 5—5 is speed running and 6 is also speed.” The goal is to gradually increase intensity as fitness improves.
The Health-Achievement Connection
Perhaps the most powerful message was about the connection between health and achievement: “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 as an optional activity but as a fundamental component of success in all areas of life.
By the end of the workout session, the improvement was evident: “My energy level is coming back.” This demonstrates that sometimes, the best way to overcome fatigue and illness is to push through initial discomfort and get the body moving again.