The Struggle and Triumph of Getting Back to Exercise After Illness
Returning to exercise after being sick can be a challenging journey, as one fitness enthusiast recently discovered. After feeling ill for several days and avoiding physical activity, they experienced stiffness, pain, and discomfort throughout their body.
“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system. That did not help me at all,” they shared during a recent workout session. “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.”
The Importance of Pushing Through
Despite still experiencing symptoms including neck pain, headache, and nasal congestion, they made the decision to get moving again with a short 20-minute workout. This determination highlights an important aspect of fitness recovery – sometimes you need to gently push your body back into motion.
“It is very hard to lose weight but very easy to gain weight,” they noted during the session. “All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not letting your body control you – you control your body.”
Self-Control as a Fitness Tool
One of the most insightful observations shared during the workout was about the role of self-discipline in maintaining physical health:
“Control your mouth. That’s why when you feel like eating a snack, you say no. Control your belly. Control your cravings. Control everything. And then force your body to move. Force it. It’s not easy, but you’re gonna force it.”
Gradual Progress is Key
The fitness enthusiast emphasized that you don’t need to be a professional athlete to benefit from exercise. Starting small and building gradually is a viable approach for anyone:
“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 workout session demonstrated remarkable progress compared to previous attempts. “Yesterday I couldn’t sustain jogging for five minutes non-stop,” they mentioned, highlighting how quickly the body can begin recovering with consistent effort.
Listen to Your Body
While pushing through discomfort, they also demonstrated awareness of their limitations by monitoring their treadmill settings. “If I put it on 10, I will fall because of my weight. But I used to put seven. I used to put up to nine before.”
This approach of challenging yourself while respecting your current capabilities is essential for sustainable fitness progress, especially when recovering from illness.
By the end of the session, they had burned nearly 200 calories and noted their energy levels returning – a small but significant victory in the journey back to health and fitness.