The Importance of Consistent Exercise: My Recovery Journey
When you take a break from exercise, even for just a few days, your body can quickly remind you why consistency matters. After feeling sick for several days and skipping my workouts, I experienced firsthand how quickly the body can become stiff and uncomfortable.
Attempting to stretch became painful – the back of my legs, my muscles, even my toes – everything hurt due to that short period of inactivity. This experience reinforced an important lesson about fitness and health maintenance.
The Challenge of Weight Management
As many of us know, it's incredibly difficult to lose weight but remarkably easy to gain it. The key to success lies in something many people struggle with: control. You must learn to control your body rather than letting your body control you.
This means controlling your mouth when cravings hit. When you feel like having that shawarma, you need the discipline to say no. Choose exercise instead. Control your appetite, your belly, and force your body to move even when it resists.
Starting Small is Still Starting
You don't need to be a professional to begin your fitness journey. You don't need to lift 100 pounds right away. Start with whatever you can manage – perhaps just 5 or 10 pounds. The important thing is to begin somewhere and build gradually.
My own journey illustrates this perfectly. Just two days ago, I was at my worst. Yesterday, I attempted some light activity but struggled. Today, I'm back on my treadmill, jogging and already feeling the improvement. Where I couldn't sustain even five minutes of jogging before, I'm now pushing through and building my endurance back.
The Connection Between Health and Goals
When you're in good health, you have the foundation to achieve your goals. It's only when your health falters that you realize how fundamental it is to everything else you want to accomplish.
That's why we need to run, exercise, and move our bodies however we can. After being sick, I'm particularly aware of how precious good health is and how quickly it can change.
Progress at Your Own Pace
My current fitness level isn't where it once was. Previously, I could run at higher speeds on the treadmill – levels 7, 9, and beyond. Now I'm working my way back up gradually, listening to my body while still challenging it.
The treadmill shows my calories burned, distance, speed, and incline – all metrics I use to track my progress. As I lose weight, I'll increase the speed again, eventually working back to level 10 and beyond. The highest setting is 12, which remains my long-term goal.
Remember that fitness is a journey with ups and downs. Illness, life circumstances, and other factors may temporarily derail your routine, but what matters most is getting back on track when you can. Your body will thank you for it.
