Breaking Through Illness: How to Restart Your Fitness Journey After Being Sick
Getting back into exercise after being sick can be challenging, but it's one of the most important steps in recovery. After several days of illness that left her body stiff and aching, one fitness enthusiast shares her experience restarting her workout routine and the immediate benefits she noticed.
“I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my system,” she explains. “Not exercising did not help me at all, 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 Mental Challenge of Returning to Exercise
One of the biggest hurdles when restarting a fitness routine is mental rather than physical. It requires pushing through initial discomfort and resisting the temptation to remain inactive.
“No more lying down. I got up. I shake my body. No more sickness,” she shares about her determination to get moving again. The difference was noticeable quickly: “If it was yesterday, I cannot sustain this jogging for five minutes. No stop five minutes jogging. If it was two days ago, that was the worst.”
Controlling Your Body, Not Letting It Control You
A key insight shared during the workout was about developing discipline in both exercise and nutrition: “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, but you control your body.”
This mentality extends beyond just movement: “Control your mouth. That's why when you feel like it is Shawarma, you say, no. I will not eat today Shawarma. I will exercise instead.”
Starting Small and Building Gradually
For those intimidated by fitness, the advice is clear – start where you are: “We must not be professional as well. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Some people cannot lift 10 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”
This progressive approach applies to cardio as well. The workout featured a moderate-paced jog on a treadmill, with attention to speed limits and personal capacity. “When I lose weight, I start running at level 10. But now, I can do up to seven. But not 10. Not 11. 12 is the highest.”
The Immediate Benefits
Even within a single workout session, positive changes were noticeable: “I am sweating now. I was cold before, but now I am sweating.” This increased circulation and body temperature signifies the body waking up from its inactive state.
Most importantly, there was a visible return of energy and positivity throughout the session: “My energy is coming back.”
The Connection Between Health and Achievement
Perhaps the most profound observation was about the link between physical health and overall life success: “Your health is wealth. When you are in good health, you can achieve. It's only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals. That is why we need to run. We need to exercise anyhow we can.”
This 20-minute session demonstrated that getting back to fitness after illness doesn't require marathon workouts or extreme intensity – just the commitment to move again and gradually rebuild strength and stamina.
