Why You Shouldn't Skip Exercise – Even When You're Feeling Sick

We've all been there – feeling under the weather and using it as an excuse to skip our workout routine. But as one fitness enthusiast recently discovered, avoiding exercise when sick might actually make you feel worse in the long run.

After taking a few days off from exercising due to illness, the effects became quickly apparent: stiffness throughout the body, pain during basic stretching, and overall discomfort that made recovery even more challenging.

The Consequences of Skipping Workouts

“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised, and that did not help me at all,” shares our fitness advocate. “Not exercising did not help me, but made my body to be stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my calves, my toes, everything pained me because of lack of exercise.”

This experience highlights an important aspect of fitness that many people overlook: maintaining some level of activity, even during periods of illness (when appropriate), can help prevent the body from becoming stiff and uncomfortable.

Mind Over Matter: Controlling Your Body

One of the most powerful insights shared was about the mental discipline required for fitness success:

“It is very hard to lose weight. Very easy to gain weight. All you need to do is to push your body. Force it. Not letting your body control you. Control your body. Control your mouth.”

This approach to fitness emphasizes that we must be in charge of our choices rather than letting momentary cravings dictate our health decisions. When you feel like having that shawarma, you need the discipline to say “no” and choose exercise instead.

Start Small and Build Gradually

For those intimidated by fitness, the key takeaway is that you don't need to be a professional or lift heavy weights to benefit from exercise:

“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 incremental approach makes fitness accessible to everyone, regardless of their current fitness level or capabilities.

Listening to Your Body While Challenging It

The beauty of a personal fitness journey is finding the balance between pushing yourself and respecting your limits. In this case, our fitness enthusiast acknowledged that while previously able to run at higher speeds (levels 9-10), current weight considerations meant sticking to a more moderate pace (level 7).

This realistic approach prevents injury while still allowing for an effective workout. The goal isn't to do the most intense workout possible, but rather to consistently show up and do what's sustainable for your body right now.

The Reward of Persistence

After just a short session of light jogging, the improvement was already noticeable: “My energy level is coming back.” This immediate benefit illustrates why consistent exercise is so valuable – it builds energy rather than depleting it.

Even while recovering from illness, a gentle workout helped restore energy levels and improve overall well-being, demonstrating that sometimes the cure for feeling low energy is actually to get moving.

Your Health Is Your Wealth

The bottom line remains clear: “Your health is what? When you are in good health, you can do anything. It's only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals.”

This powerful reminder serves as motivation for all of us to prioritize our physical well-being through regular movement and exercise – even when we don't feel like it. Because ultimately, our health enables everything else in our lives.