Why You Shouldn't Skip Exercise When You're Sick: A Personal Recovery Journey
After several days of feeling under the weather and skipping my regular workouts, I experienced firsthand how quickly our bodies can deteriorate when we stop moving. Despite feeling sick with headaches and congestion, I found that not exercising only made things worse—my body became stiff, my muscles ached, and even basic stretching became painful.
This experience reinforced an important lesson about fitness and health: it's much harder to exercise consistently than it is to gain weight, and much harder to lose weight than to put it on. But the solution isn't complicated—we simply need to push ourselves to move, even when we don't feel like it.
Taking Control of Your Body
The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is learning to control your body rather than letting it control you. This means:
- Controlling your mouth and what you eat
- Saying no to cravings
- Forcing your body to move, even when it's difficult
It's not easy, but it's necessary. When you feel like taking a day off or indulging in unhealthy foods, that's precisely when you need to exercise self-discipline.
The Comeback: Building Stamina Gradually
Today, I'm back on my treadmill after several days of illness, and the difference is noticeable. Just yesterday, I couldn't sustain even five minutes of jogging without stopping. Two days ago was even worse.
But that's the beauty of exercise—your health and capabilities can improve rapidly when you commit to consistent movement. You don't need to be a professional athlete or lift heavy weights to see benefits. Starting with whatever you can manage—even if it's just lifting 5 or 10 pounds—and gradually building up will get you where you want to be.
Tracking Your Progress
Using a treadmill with tracking features helps monitor improvements in:
- Time spent exercising
- Calories burned
- Number of steps
- Incline level
- Speed
For weight loss, increasing speed gradually is effective. When carrying extra weight, starting at a comfortable speed (like level 5-7 on a treadmill with settings up to 12) is appropriate. As you lose weight and build stamina, you can increase to higher speeds.
The Recovery Journey
The body's resilience is remarkable. After just a short time back to exercising, I'm already sweating and approaching 200 calories burned in my session. The stiffness is decreasing, and my energy levels are returning.
This experience serves as a powerful reminder: sometimes the days when you least feel like exercising are the days when your body needs it most. Even short, gentle workouts during recovery can help maintain mobility and prevent the physical decline that comes with complete inactivity.
Remember, fitness isn't about perfection—it's about consistency and listening to your body while still challenging it appropriately.
