Why You Should Keep Exercising Even When You're Sick: A Personal Recovery Story

It's a common experience – you feel under the weather, and your first instinct is to rest completely. But sometimes, the lack of movement can make things worse, as one fitness enthusiast recently discovered.

After feeling sick for several days and avoiding exercise, they found their body becoming increasingly stiff and painful. “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,” they shared.

The Road to Recovery

The journey back to fitness after illness isn't always easy. Even a short 20-minute workout can feel challenging when your body is recovering. “Yesterday I cannot sustain jogging for five minutes without stopping,” they noted, comparing it to their improving stamina just a day later.

This gradual improvement is typical of the recovery process. Your energy levels don't return all at once – they build day by day as you gently push your body back to its normal routine.

The Importance of Consistency

Maintaining a consistent exercise routine is crucial for overall health. When you're in good health, you can achieve your goals more easily. It's only when you're unable to perform certain activities that your progress may stall.

“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. That is why we need to run. We need to exercise.”

Start Small and Build

You don't need to immediately return to your pre-illness exercise intensity. The key is to start small and gradually build back up.

“We must not be professional as well. We must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds, 5 pounds. Just little by little, we are going to be fine.”

This approach applies to cardio exercise too. Rather than pushing for high speeds on a treadmill, begin at a comfortable pace. As noted in the experience shared, “If I put it now at 10, 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.”

Listen to Your Body

While exercise during or after illness can be beneficial, it's important to listen to your body. The transition from feeling cold to beginning to sweat is a good sign that your body is responding positively to the activity.

“I was cold just now, but now I'm sweating,” is a common experience when your circulation improves and your body begins to work properly again.

Setting Realistic Goals

During recovery, setting small, achievable goals can help maintain motivation. Watching calorie burn, distance covered, or simply how long you can sustain an activity without stopping are all good metrics to track improvement.

In this case, reaching almost 200 calories burned during a short workout session was celebrated as a sign of returning energy levels: “My energy level is coming back.”

The Bottom Line

While complete rest is sometimes necessary when you're ill, gentle movement and gradually returning to exercise can often help speed recovery and prevent the stiffness and discomfort that comes from extended inactivity.

Remember that the journey back to full fitness is personal and should be approached with patience. Small steps forward are still progress, and each day of movement brings you closer to feeling like yourself again.