Pushing Through Sickness: Why Consistent Exercise Is Crucial for Recovery
We've all been there—feeling under the weather, skipping workouts, and then discovering our bodies have stiffened up as a result. One fitness enthusiast recently learned this lesson the hard way and shared their experience with getting back on track after illness.
After feeling sick for several days and avoiding exercise, they discovered just how quickly the body can lose flexibility and strength. “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 explained. “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 Mental Battle of Getting Back to Exercise
One of the hardest parts of maintaining fitness is the mental challenge of pushing yourself to work out when you don't feel like it. As our fitness enthusiast points out, “It is very hard to lose weight, but very easy to gain weight. All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not letting your body control you—you control your body.”
This philosophy extends to diet as well: “Control your mouth. That's when you feel like eating a snack, you say no. I will not eat today's snack. I will exercise first instead.”
Starting Small After a Break
When returning to exercise after illness or a long break, it's important to start small. You don't need to immediately return to your previous level of intensity. “You must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds. Little by little, we are going to be fine.”
For cardio exercise, the same principle applies. Our fitness enthusiast mentioned working with treadmill settings that were appropriate for their current fitness level: “When I lose weight, I will start running at 10, but for now I can do up to 7, not 10, not 11, not 12.”
The Value of Health
Perhaps the most important lesson from this experience is the reminder of how valuable good health is. When we're feeling well, we often take it for granted. It's only when illness strikes that we truly appreciate being healthy.
“Your health is wealth. When you are in good health, you can achieve your goals. 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.”
The Reward of Persistence
Despite still feeling some lingering effects of illness—”I still feel my neck, my head is aching, my nose is running”—our fitness enthusiast pushed through a 20-minute workout. By the end, they were already noticing improvements: “My energy level is coming back.”
This is a powerful reminder that sometimes the workout we least want to do is the one our bodies need the most. Even a short session can help jumpstart recovery and get us back on track toward our fitness goals.
Remember, consistency is key in any fitness journey. Don't let temporary setbacks become permanent ones—get back to your routine as soon as your body allows, even if it means starting with shorter, less intense workouts than you're used to.
