Why You Shouldn't Skip Exercise Even When You're Sick
After several days of feeling under the weather and skipping my workouts, I learned a valuable lesson about consistency in fitness. Despite experiencing headaches, nasal congestion, and general discomfort, I discovered that avoiding exercise only made my situation worse.
When I stopped moving my body, everything stiffened up. I tried stretching the back of my legs, but even my nails and toes caused me pain due to the lack of exercise. This experience reinforced what many fitness experts already know – moderate movement can sometimes be beneficial even when you're not feeling your best.
Getting Back on Track
Today marks my return to exercise after a brief illness. Though I'm still recovering, I've noticed a significant improvement in my energy levels compared to just two days ago when symptoms were at their worst. Yesterday I attempted some light activity, but today I'm able to sustain jogging for longer periods without stopping.
This quick recovery highlights an important principle: maintaining some form of physical activity, when appropriate and safe, can help prevent the body from becoming completely stiff and can potentially speed up recovery time.
Start Where You Are
One of the most important lessons in fitness is that you don't need to be a professional or lift heavy weights to benefit from exercise. As I remind myself during this recovery period, “You must not lift 100 pounds. Just start by lifting 10 pounds or even 5 pounds.”
Incremental progress is still progress. Whether you're recovering from illness or just beginning your fitness journey, the key is to start somewhere and gradually build up your strength and endurance.
Listening to Your Body While Challenging It
There's a delicate balance between pushing yourself and respecting your limitations. During my workout, I paid close attention to how my body responded to jogging, monitoring my time and energy levels.
My treadmill displays calories burned, incline, and speed, allowing me to track my progress. Currently, I'm comfortable at speeds up to seven, though I used to manage nine before my illness. The highest setting of twelve remains a future goal as I continue to work on my fitness and weight loss journey.
Taking Control of Your Health
Perhaps the most powerful realization from this experience is the importance of taking control of your body rather than letting it control you. As I noted during my workout, “It is very hard to lose weight but very easy to gain weight. All you need to do is push your body. Force it. Don't let your body control you.”
This applies not just to exercise but also to nutrition: “Control your mouth. Control your belly.” These simple but challenging principles form the foundation of any successful fitness regimen.
After almost 200 calories burned in this short session, I can already feel my energy returning. It's a reminder that consistency, not perfection, is what ultimately leads to better health and fitness.
