Exercise is good for us. Most of the time. It is important to make sure that we exercise appropriately based on our physical condition and state of health, otherwise we could be putting our body under additional stress and exacerbating any health issues we are experiencing
Exercising After an Illness – How to Restart an Exercise Routine
When we are sick it is often recommended that we take a break from our usual forms of exercise. This will depend on what type of illness you have and whether it is a short-term condition like a cold or the flu, a flare-up of a chronic condition, or a longer, more severe illness. It is definitely a good idea to check with your healthcare professionals and follow their recommendations when it comes to exercising during your illness.
But what about once you have recovered? It might be tempting to throw yourself straight back into your usual fitness routine to make up for lost time, but it is far more sensible to ease yourself back into exercise.
As a general rule, you should wait at least 48 hours after any fevers have dissipated, get two to three good nights of sleep, and wait for any aches or pains to disappear before restarting exercise
If you are sick and unable to exercise for one week, on average you will lose around 30% of your fitness. This will be particularly noticeable when it comes to cardio fitness.
If you are sick for a longer period, your fitness levels could drop considerably more. The longer your body is fighting to counteract illness, the more your muscles will shrink, while your cardio fitness will continue to decline.
When you are confident that it is time to restart your exercise routine, it is best to start with light cardio and low impact activities such as walking. This type of exercise puts the least amount of pressure on your body while it continues to focus its efforts on rebuilding your immune system.
In the first days and weeks of returning to exercise, light cardio activity will help you slowly recover your energy levels and deliver oxygen to your muscles before you recommence your usual resistance or weight training. Once you can comfortably talk while you walk, you can slowly increase the speed and duration until you feel your cardio fitness has improved enough to restart other types of training.
With weights, resistance and endurance exercise it is often recommended to start at around 70% of your usual effort, but you may like to start even more gently if you are recovering from a prolonged illness.
Using this approach, it usually takes around two to three weeks to build back up to your usual routine after a short illness, but could take several months after a more serious bout of ill health.
Getting back into exercise gradually ensures you don’t put your body under additional pressure while it works to heal any ongoing effects of your illness. It also reduces the chance of injury from doing too much too soon.
Of course, when you hire equipment from BeFit Hire, you are welcome to contact us at any time to swap your equipment if you need to adjust your exercise routine for any reason.
Our knowledgeable and friendly customer service agents are ready to guide you through the process of choosing the right fitness equipment to set you on the path to achieving your health and fitness goals. Our equipment is available for purchase or hire and we have flexible payment options available.
The BeFit Hire range includes upright and recumbent exercise bikes, treadmills, rowing machines and manual and programmable cross-trainers. As a family business operating for more than 50 years, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional service to every customer.
Free delivery to most of metro Adelaide and Melbourne is available for most hire periods. Your safety and health is important to us, and you can rest easy knowing your BeFit agent has tested, cleaned and disinfected your hire equipment prior to delivery. Contactless delivery is also available if you are in voluntary or medically directed self-isolation.
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