Why You Must Keep Exercising Even When You Don't Feel Like It
Getting back to exercise after feeling sick can be challenging, but it's one of the most important steps you can take for your recovery and overall health. When you stop exercising, your body quickly becomes stiff and uncomfortable – a harsh reminder of how crucial regular movement is for maintaining wellness.
After several days of feeling under the weather and skipping workouts, the effects become immediately noticeable. Muscles tighten, flexibility decreases, and even simple stretches can become painful. As one fitness enthusiast recently discovered, “I tried to stretch, even the back of my legs, my nails, my toes, everything pained me. Because of lack of exercise.”
The Challenge of Pushing Through Discomfort
It's a universal truth in fitness: “It is very hard to exercise, but very easy to get weight. Very hard to lose weight. Very easy to get weight.” This reality means we must sometimes force ourselves to move when our bodies and minds resist.
The key lies in mental discipline: “All you need to do is to push your body. You force it. Not lay your body, control your body. Control your mouth.” This approach to fitness acknowledges that our bodies often seek the path of least resistance, but real progress comes from gentle but consistent pushing against those limitations.
Starting Small After Illness
When returning to exercise after being sick, it's important to ease back in gradually. Even a five-minute jogging session can be challenging when recovering, but the improvement can be rapid. As noted by someone getting back to their routine: “If it was yesterday, I cannot sustain this jogging for five minutes. No stop, five minutes jogging. If it was two days ago, that was the worst.”
Your stamina might surprise you when you give your body the chance to move again. Each day of recovery and renewed activity builds upon the previous one, helping you regain your strength and endurance.
The Importance of Consistency Over Intensity
One of the most important fitness principles is that consistency matters more than intensity. You don't need to lift heavy weights or run marathons to benefit from exercise:
“We must not be professional as well. You must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds. Five pounds. So we cannot lift 10 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”
This approach makes fitness accessible to everyone, regardless of current fitness level or physical limitations. The key is simply to start where you are and build gradually.
Adjusting Intensity to Your Current Ability
Whether you're using a treadmill, stationary bike, or other equipment, it's important to adjust the intensity to match your current abilities. For example, with treadmill speeds: “5 is speed learning and 6 is the, it is also speed on 7, it has up to 12. When I lose weight, I start running 10 because that way you have to pop up.”
As your fitness improves, you can gradually increase intensity, but there's no shame in working at lower levels when necessary. The most important thing is that you're moving regularly.
The Reward of Renewed Energy
Perhaps the greatest benefit of returning to exercise after a period of inactivity is the renewed energy you'll feel. Even a short workout can trigger the release of endorphins and help your body's natural recovery processes. As one fitness enthusiast observed during their comeback workout: “My energy level is coming back.”
This positive feedback loop – exercise creates energy which makes exercise easier – is one of the most powerful tools in maintaining a consistent fitness routine.
Remember, your health is the foundation that supports all your other goals and aspirations. When you prioritize movement and physical wellness, you're investing in your ability to pursue everything else that matters to you.
