The Power of Persistence: Getting Back to Exercise After Illness

Recovery from illness often requires a gradual return to physical activity. After feeling sick for several days without exercise, one fitness enthusiast shares their journey of getting back on track despite lingering symptoms.

“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system,” they explain. “Not exercising did not help me, but made my body stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my nails, my toes, everything pained me because of lack of exercise.”

Despite still experiencing neck pain, headache, and nasal congestion, they pushed themselves to move their body. The initial workout consisted of a 20-minute session focused on getting the body moving again after the period of inactivity.

Mind Over Matter

A key takeaway from this experience is the importance of mental control over physical desires. “It is very hard to lose weight but very easy to gain weight,” they note. “All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not letting your body control you – you control your body.”

This mental discipline extends to dietary choices as well: “Control your mouth. That’s why when you feel like eating a snack, you say, no. I will not eat today. I will exercise instead.”

Progress, Not Perfection

The fitness journey described emphasizes starting where you are, not where you think you should be. “We must not be professional. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, five pounds. If we cannot lift 10 pounds, just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

This gradual approach applies to cardio exercise as well. Using a treadmill with various settings, they note: “When I lose weight, I’ll start running at speed 10. Because that way you have to move quickly. If I put it now, I will fall because of my weight.”

Previously capable of running at speed settings of 9, they currently limit themselves to 7 as they rebuild their fitness level, understanding that the maximum setting of 12 remains a future goal.

The Health Connection

Perhaps most importantly, the experience reinforces the connection between health and achievement: “Your health is wealth. When you are in good health, you can achieve your goals. It’s only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals. That’s why we need to run, we need to exercise, anyhow we can.”

By the end of the short workout, progress was evident – nearly 200 calories burned and a noticeable return of energy, despite growing fatigue.

This journey reminds us that persistence in physical activity, even when recovering from illness, can help restore energy, improve mood, and put us back on the path to our health goals.