Why You Need to Push Your Body: Overcoming Sickness Through Exercise
There's something deeply frustrating about feeling your body become stiff and painful after days without exercise. When illness strikes, it can be tempting to remain sedentary, but as many fitness enthusiasts discover, this often makes recovery feel even more challenging.
After feeling sick for several days without exercising, one fitness enthusiast decided to share her experience of getting back on track. “I have been feeling sick for some days, I have not really exercised and 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 nails, my toes, everything pained me. Because of lack of exercise.”
The Challenge of Getting Started Again
When returning to exercise after illness, it's important to start gradually. Even a short 20-minute workout can help reactivate your body and begin rebuilding your stamina. Despite experiencing lingering symptoms like headache and congestion, movement often proves beneficial for recovery.
The reality of fitness is often stark: “It is very hard to lose weight. Very easy to get weight.” This fundamental truth highlights why consistency matters so much in any fitness journey.
Taking Control of Your Body
One of the most important aspects of maintaining fitness is developing mental discipline. As the fitness enthusiast notes: “You control your body. Control your mouth. When you feel like eating a snack, you say, ‘No, I will not eat today. I will exercise.'”
This approach requires willpower: “Just go ahead. Control your belly. Control your tummy. Control everything. And then force your body to move. Force it. It's not easy. But you can force it.”
Building Back Gradually
Recovery doesn't happen overnight. Even someone who previously could sustain jogging for five minutes continuously might struggle when returning after illness. The key is to recognize your current limitations while pushing gently against them.
“We need to exercise anyhow. We must not be professional. We must not lift 100 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.”
Adjusting Intensity Based on Fitness Level
When using exercise equipment like treadmills, it's important to choose appropriate settings for your current fitness level. Beginners or those returning after illness should start with lower speed settings and gradually increase as strength and stamina improve.
Someone who once could handle higher speed settings (like 7-9 on a treadmill) might need to temporarily reduce intensity when rebuilding fitness. The goal isn't to immediately return to previous levels but to safely work back toward them.
The Reward of Persistence
Even during a relatively short workout session, you can experience the positive effects of exercise. As your body warms up and begins to sweat, energy levels often increase. This physical response reinforces the value of pushing through initial resistance.
By gradually rebuilding exercise habits after illness, you'll likely notice improved mood, decreased stiffness, and a renewed sense of control over your physical wellbeing.
Remember that health is foundational to achieving many other goals in life. As our fitness enthusiast notes: “When you are in good health, you can do certain things. That is why we need to run. We need to exercise.”
The next time illness interrupts your fitness routine, remember that gentle movement, when you're ready, may be exactly what your body needs to fully recover and rebuild strength.
