Overcoming Sickness Through Exercise: A Personal Recovery Journey
We all know how difficult it can be to maintain fitness consistency when illness strikes. After several days of feeling sick and avoiding exercise, one fitness enthusiast discovered just how quickly the body can stiffen up and deteriorate when movement stops.
“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system,” they shared during a recent workout session. “Not exercising did not help me at all, but made my body stiff. I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my knees, my toes – everything pained me because of lack of exercise.”
The Comeback Workout
Despite still experiencing some symptoms – “I still feel my neck, my head is aching, my nose is running” – they made the decision to push through with a short 20-minute exercise session to reactivate their body. This determination highlights an important principle in fitness: sometimes a gentle return to movement can help the recovery process.
Mind Over Matter
The session emphasized the mental aspect of fitness that many home gym enthusiasts understand all too well: “It is very hard to lose weight but very easy to gain weight. All you need to do is to push your body. Force it. Don't let your body control you – you control your body.”
This philosophy extends to nutrition as well: “Control your mouth. When you feel like eating a snack, you say, ‘No, I will not eat today. I will exercise instead.'”
Progress Is Visible
The improvement from just one day of renewed activity was noticeable. “Yesterday I could not sustain jogging for 5 minutes without stopping. Today I'm back with more energy!”
This rapid improvement serves as a reminder that our bodies often respond quickly to positive changes, even after brief periods of inactivity.
Starting Small
For those feeling intimidated by fitness, the message was clear: “We must not be professional. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds or 5 pounds. Little by little, we are going to be fine.”
Equipment Insights
The workout took place on a treadmill with various settings that accommodate different fitness levels. “The treadmill has a timer, tracks calories, and has multiple speed settings. Five is regular running, and as you increase to six and seven, the intensity increases.”
The personal note about scaling back intensity based on current fitness level is something many home gym users can relate to: “When I lose weight, I'll start running at level 10. Before, I used to go up to nine, but now I can do up to seven.”
The Reward of Persistence
By the end of the session, the exerciser was approaching 200 calories burned and could feel their energy returning – a testament to the body's remarkable ability to respond to movement.
When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle through our home fitness routines, consistency truly is key. Even when we face setbacks like illness, gently easing back into movement can help us regain our strength and momentum faster than remaining sedentary.
