For those of us who exercise regularly, and really look after ourselves, and illness can really knock us back, whether it’s an inconvenient short-term illness or a long-term more severe illness, we would much rather be active and able to exercise rather than having to rest and recuperate. If you’ve had to take some time off from your training schedule, or your regular exercise activity, you may find yourself frustrated and Looking for ways to get back “into it” quickly. But there are many things that you need to consider after suffering from an illness, to ensure that your new exercise regime works.
Take care
If you’ve been ill for a while, and have received a treatment of some kind, whether that just be a short course of antibiotics or cancer treatment, you will find your immune system may have taken a little bit of a beating. This may be an understatement for some medicines, but it is proven that exercise boosts your immune system, so as long as you take it easy, and follow the advice of your doctor, you should be able to start building a new immune system, and hope that you’ll be back to “normal” sooner rather than later. You do have to take it easy to start with, as your body will have become a little more fragile than before. But many people have bounceback from illness and become fitter and healthier than ever before. In fact, some people have used it as an incentive to do better and train harder. So this doesn’t mean that all is lost and you need to take it easy forever, it’s just advisable to manage your expectations wisely to start with.
Take advice
When your doctor signs you off as able to take up exercise again, you should seek advice on what level of activity to start at. If you have a personal trainer, for example, it may be a good idea to sit down with them and work out precisely what you need to do to get back fighting fit again without much trouble. Don’t forget many people are experts in this field, so taking it easy is advisable, but you can find excellent advice from the right places if you look. Sometimes there is also excellent advice online, that you may not have thought about before. But just take it easy to start with and hopefully you will find yourself in a fantastic position once again.
Take stock
It can be tempting to go full speed ahead once you’re cleared to exercise again, but take stock of how far you’ve come through the illness, and be sensible above all else. If after a few weeks you don’t reach your own expectations, it’s essential to take stock of how far you’ve come and remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Managing your expectations, Tracking your progress and setting realistic goals, and realising that every step forward is a step in the right direction, will all help you in the long run.
So eat well, get plenty of sleep, rest when needed, and find your new routine as soon as possible once your doctor says you can.
