The Power of Persistence: How to Push Through Exercise When You’re Feeling Sick

Pushing through exercise after feeling under the weather can be a challenging but rewarding experience. After several days of sickness and no physical activity, returning to a workout routine requires determination and perseverance.

“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my sister. That did not help me at all,” shares a fitness enthusiast who recently returned to their workout regimen. “Not exercising did not help me, 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 Importance of Consistent Movement

When your body feels stiff and achy from inactivity, sometimes the best solution is to get moving again. Even when feeling unwell with symptoms like headaches or congestion, gentle exercise can help restore energy and reduce discomfort.

“As you walk along the street, you keep walking, it makes you less lonely,” notes our fitness advocate, highlighting the mental health benefits that accompany physical activity.

Mind Over Matter: Controlling Your Body

One of the key insights shared during this fitness journey is the importance of mental discipline: “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 control your body.”

This philosophy extends beyond exercise to dietary choices as well: “Control your mouth. That’s why you feel like it is a shawarma. You say no. I will not eat today shawarma. I will exercise. Just go ahead.”

Progress, Not Perfection

Recovery takes time, and it’s important to acknowledge improvements, even small ones. “Yesterday I cannot sustain this jogging for five minutes. No stop five minutes jogging. Because today I can go.”

This gradual approach to fitness is emphasized throughout: “We must not be professional as well. We must not lift a 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Five pounds. So we cannot lift 10 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

Health as a Foundation for Achievement

Perhaps the most profound insight shared is the connection between health and achieving life goals: “Your health is what? When you are in good health, you cannot achieve. It is only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals. That is why I am here.”

Adapting to Your Current Fitness Level

Understanding your current capabilities and working within them is crucial for sustainable fitness. Using a treadmill as an example, our fitness enthusiast explains: “It has up to 12. When I lose weight, I’ll start running 10. Because that way you have to pop up. If I put it now, I will fall. If I put 10, I will fall. Because of my weight. But I used to put seven.”

This honest assessment of current limitations, combined with memory of past capabilities and hope for future improvement, represents the ideal mindset for anyone on a fitness journey.

Whether you’re recovering from illness or simply trying to establish a more active lifestyle, remember that consistency and gradual progress are more important than intensity. Listen to your body, but don’t let momentary discomfort prevent you from experiencing the long-term benefits of regular exercise.