The Importance of Consistency in Your Fitness Journey: Overcoming Sickness and Maintaining Your Workout Routine
We've all been there – those days when sickness strikes, energy levels plummet, and our fitness routine comes to a screeching halt. But what happens when we stop exercising, even temporarily? The effects can be surprisingly quick and uncomfortable.
After just a few days without exercise, many people report increased stiffness, discomfort, and a general feeling of lethargy. This rapid decline in physical well-being demonstrates just how important consistent movement is for our bodies.
The Consequences of Pausing Your Fitness Routine
When you stop exercising, even for a short period, your body responds quickly. Muscles begin to tighten, flexibility decreases, and even simple stretching can become painful. This experience highlights a crucial truth about fitness: consistency matters more than intensity.
As one fitness enthusiast recently discovered, “I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised… That did not help me at all. 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.”
Pushing Through When You Don't Feel Your Best
Sometimes, the most important workouts are the ones you do when you don't feel like exercising at all. While you should never push through serious illness or injury without medical clearance, there are many times when a gentle workout can actually help you feel better when dealing with minor ailments.
Even with a headache or mild cold symptoms, light movement can improve circulation, reduce stiffness, and potentially accelerate recovery. The key is modifying your routine to match your energy levels.
The Mental Battle of Fitness
Perhaps the greatest challenge in maintaining a consistent fitness routine isn't physical at all – it's mental. As many experienced exercisers know, “It is very hard to lose weight. Very easy to gain weight. All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Don't let your body control you, control your body.”
This mental discipline extends beyond just showing up for workouts. It includes:
- Controlling your eating habits
- Pushing through initial discomfort
- Maintaining consistency even when results aren't immediate
- Getting back on track after illness or interruptions
Start Where You Are
One of the most discouraging aspects of returning to fitness after a break is the tendency to compare your current performance to your previous peak. This is counterproductive and often leads to giving up entirely.
Instead, remember that fitness is a journey, not a destination: “We need to exercise anyhow we can. We must not be professional as well. We must not lift 100 pounds, 200 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds. If we cannot lift 10 pounds, just little by little, we are going to be fine.”
Adapting Your Intensity
As your fitness journey progresses, you'll need to adjust the intensity of your workouts to match your changing capabilities. This is true whether you're getting stronger or coming back from a break.
For cardio exercises like running or using a treadmill, this might mean adjusting your speed: “The speed limit, like if you're using three, you're using two, you're using five, five is speed running and six is also speed… When I lose weight, I'll start running ten because that way you have to pop up. If I put it now, I will fall.”
Understanding these limitations isn't failure – it's smart training that prevents injury and allows for sustainable progress.
Conclusion: Health as the Foundation
Perhaps the most important reminder is that health forms the foundation for everything else we hope to achieve: “Your health is what? When you are in good health, you can achieve. It's only when you cannot do certain things that you cannot achieve your goals.”
This perspective shifts exercise from being just about aesthetics or performance to being about creating the physical foundation that supports every other aspect of our lives. It's not just about looking good – it's about feeling good and being capable of pursuing all your other dreams and goals.
So the next time you feel tempted to skip a workout, remember that consistency, not perfection, is the true key to fitness success. Every movement matters, especially the ones you do when you don't feel like moving at all.
