The Journey Back to Fitness: Overcoming Sickness and Rebuilding Strength
After several days of feeling under the weather, the road back to fitness can be challenging but rewarding. This journey of returning to exercise after illness demonstrates how our bodies respond when we push through discomfort to regain our strength.
The experience of being sidelined by illness reveals an important truth about physical fitness: inactivity can quickly lead to stiffness and discomfort. “I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system,” reveals a fitness enthusiast who recently returned to their workout routine. “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.”
This observation highlights the critical relationship between regular movement and overall wellbeing. Even during periods of illness, gentle stretching and movement (when appropriate) can help maintain flexibility and prevent the discomfort that comes with prolonged inactivity.
The Challenge of Returning to Exercise
Resuming workouts after a break can be difficult, especially when recovering from illness. Initially, endurance levels drop significantly. “Yesterday I cannot sustain this jogging for five minutes without stopping,” the fitness enthusiast notes, comparing it to their improved performance just one day later.
This rapid improvement demonstrates how quickly the body can respond to renewed activity, even after a short illness. The key is to start gently and recognize that rebuilding fitness is a process that happens day by day.
Weight Management: The Mental Game
The discussion also touches on the challenges of weight management, highlighting the mental discipline required: “It is very hard to lose weight. Very easy to get weight. All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not letting your body control you—you control your body.”
This perspective emphasizes that successful fitness routines require mental commitment as much as physical effort. The ability to override momentary discomfort or cravings plays a crucial role in maintaining a consistent exercise habit.
“Control your mouth. Control your belly… force your body to move. Force it. It’s not easy. But you’re gonna force it,” advises the fitness advocate, highlighting the internal dialogue that often accompanies workout decisions.
Adapting Exercise to Your Current Ability
An important insight from this fitness journey is the value of adapting exercise intensity to current abilities. Using a treadmill as an example, the fitness enthusiast explains how they adjust settings based on their current fitness level: “When I lose weight, I’ll start running 10… But now, I can do up to seven, but not 10, not 11, not 12.”
This graduated approach to exercise intensity demonstrates a healthy understanding of fitness progression. Rather than pushing too hard too soon, which can lead to injury or burnout, incremental increases in intensity allow the body to adapt safely over time.
The Value of Consistency
Perhaps the most valuable lesson from this fitness journey is the importance of consistency, even when workouts must be modified or shortened. “We need to run. We need to exercise anyhow we can. We must not be professional… We must not lift 100 pounds… Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Five pounds. Some of them cannot lift 10 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”
This approach acknowledges that fitness is not about perfection but persistence. Small, manageable efforts accumulate over time to create meaningful health improvements.
As the workout concludes with the fitness enthusiast noting they’re approaching 200 calories burned, there’s a sense of accomplishment despite the shortened exercise session. The journey back to full fitness continues one workout at a time, proving that even when returning from illness, our bodies respond positively to movement and challenge.