The Journey Back to Fitness: Overcoming Sickness Through Exercise
After several days of feeling unwell, a fitness enthusiast shares their personal journey back to exercise. This candid account highlights the importance of maintaining physical activity, even when recovering from illness.
“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for myself. That did not help me at all,” the fitness enthusiast explains. The lack of physical activity had actually made things worse: “I 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 headache and congestion, they committed to a short 20-minute workout to gradually reintroduce movement into their routine. This approach demonstrates an important principle in fitness recovery – starting small and building back gradually.
The Mental Battle of Fitness
The account reveals the psychological aspects of maintaining a fitness regimen. “It is very hard to dress as nice. But very easy to get weight. Very hard to lose weight. Very easy to get weight,” they observed.
One of the most powerful insights shared was about the importance of mental discipline: “All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not letting your body control you. Control your body. Control your mouth.” This perspective emphasizes that fitness success often comes down to self-discipline and determination.
Gradual Progress
The fitness enthusiast tracks their recovery progress by comparing current capabilities with previous days: “If it was yesterday, I cannot sustain this jogging for five minutes. If it was two days ago, that was the worst.”
They also discuss their approach to using exercise equipment, specifically a treadmill, noting how they’ve had to adjust settings based on their current fitness level: “I used to put up to seven. Before, I used to put up to nine. But now, I can do up to seven, but not 10, not 11, not 12. 12 is the highest.”
The Importance of Health in Achieving Goals
Perhaps the most compelling insight from this fitness journey is the connection between health and broader 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.”
The fitness enthusiast encourages others to start where they are: “We must not be professional as well. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Five pounds. We cannot lift 10 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”
By the end of the workout, they noted positive changes: “I was cold before, but now I’m sweating” – a testament to how quickly the body can respond to renewed physical activity, even when recovering from illness.
This honest account serves as a reminder that fitness journeys are rarely linear. There are setbacks, including illness, but the key is to return to activity as soon as safely possible, adjusting expectations and building back gradually.