How Exercise Helped Me Recover From Illness: A Personal Journey
After several days of feeling sick and avoiding physical activity, I discovered that lack of exercise was actually making my condition worse. My body had become stiff, stretching was painful, and even the simplest movements caused discomfort. This experience taught me an important lesson about consistency in fitness.
When I finally decided to push through and exercise despite feeling unwell, I noticed immediate improvements. The first day back was challenging—I couldn't sustain jogging for even five minutes without stopping. But by the second day, my energy levels began returning, and I could maintain a steady pace on the treadmill.
The Importance of Pushing Through
Exercise isn't always easy, especially when we're feeling under the weather or lacking motivation. It's much harder to exercise than it is to gain weight. Losing weight requires discipline and consistency, while gaining weight often happens effortlessly.
The key is learning to control your body rather than letting your body control you. This means making conscious choices about what you eat and how much you move, even when you don't feel like it. As I've learned, sometimes you need to force your body to move—it's not easy, but the benefits are worth it.
Starting Small
You don't need to be a professional athlete or lift hundreds of pounds to see benefits from exercise. Starting with just 5 or 10 pounds and gradually increasing the intensity is perfectly fine. The important thing is consistency.
With my treadmill workout, I've learned to adjust the speed settings based on my current fitness level. While I used to be able to run at speeds of 7-9, I've had to scale back during my recovery. The highest setting is 12, but I know attempting that now would be dangerous given my current condition.
Signs of Recovery
The most encouraging sign of recovery was feeling myself begin to sweat during the workout. When I started, I felt cold, but as I continued jogging, my body temperature increased and I began to perspire—a clear indication that my body was responding positively to the exercise.
By the end of the session, I had burned nearly 200 calories and felt significantly better than when I started. My energy levels were returning, and I felt confident that I could gradually increase my workout intensity in the coming days.
The Bottom Line
Your health is your greatest asset. When you're in good health, you can achieve your goals, but when you're unwell, even simple tasks become challenging. This is why regular exercise is so important—it keeps your body functioning optimally and helps you recover more quickly when illness strikes.
Remember that fitness is a journey, not a destination. Some days will be harder than others, but the key is to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
