The Power of Consistency: How to Get Back to Exercise After Illness
Getting back to exercise after being sick can be challenging. Your body feels stiff, your energy levels are low, and everything seems to hurt. However, pushing through this initial discomfort is essential for regaining your health and fitness.
When you've been inactive due to illness, your body quickly lets you know. As one fitness enthusiast discovered, “I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and I did not do any good for my sister. That did not help me at all. Not as excited did not help me, but I 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.”
Taking Control of Your Body
The key to getting back on track is taking control of your body rather than letting it control you. This means pushing through initial resistance and discomfort:
- Force your body to move even when it doesn't want to
- Control your eating habits
- Start with short workout sessions
- Gradually increase intensity as your strength returns
“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 let your body control you. Control your mouth. Control your lungs. Control your belly. Control everything. And then force your body to move.”
Starting Small
You don't need to jump back into intense workouts immediately. The beauty of exercise is that you can start small and build up gradually:
“We must not be professional as well. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Five pounds. If we cannot lift 10 pounds, just little by little. We are going to be fine.”
Using Equipment Appropriately
When using exercise equipment like a treadmill, it's important to match the settings to your current fitness level. As your strength improves, you can gradually increase the intensity:
“The treadmill has timer, has calories, has number of steps, distance. The treadmill has the incline, and it has also the speed. The speed limit, like if you're using three, you're using two, you're using five. Five is speed limit.”
“When I lose weight, I'll start running at 10, because that's when you have to push. If I put it now, I will fall. Because of my weight. But I used to put seven, I used to put up to seven. Before, I used to put up to nine.”
Celebrating Small Victories
As you get back into your exercise routine, celebrate the small victories along the way. Whether it's jogging for a few minutes longer than yesterday or burning a specific number of calories, these accomplishments help build momentum:
“My energy level is coming back. We are almost at 200 calories. Good.”
Remember that your health is your most valuable asset. When you're in good health, you can pursue your goals and dreams. Even if you're starting small after an illness, each step brings you closer to regaining your strength and vitality.
