Yesterday was the first day I worked out after having the kidney stone and cold.
The cold is still hanging around a bit (so is the stone :/), but no fever or respiratory issues. I can tell I am going to be somewhat sore today and tomorrow, but I didn’t push myself too hard and when I started to feel uncomfortable I stopped and took a break, Basically I did lighter weights with higher reps and longer breaks.
Here are some tips for getting back to exercise after being sick.
1. Don’t start back up yet if you are still running a fever, or your symptoms are below the neck. If you are still running a fever, your body needs to give all its attention to fighting off the illness. If you have chest congestion or a bad cough continue to sit it out until those symptoms have subsided. If you have the common head cold, you should be okay to exercise.
2. keep the intensity down. Even if you feel better, your body is still weak from the illness and you do not want to overdue it because that could just cause the sickness to come back with a vengeance. See, your muscles do not need to get too damaged because the immune systems main focus right now should be full recovery. Take it slow and ease into it.
3. Take a longer recovery period. Apply this during your workout, and after. We are keeping the intensity down and this means taking longer breaks during the workout. Stop and listen to your body. Give yourself time to catch your breath and recover. As far a recovery from the workout goes, give yourself a few extra days the first week back for recovery so your immune system can focus on healing from the cold.
5. Listen to your body! Obviously the most important thing. Your body will tell you when it’s had enough, so it’s important to slow down in the workout to check in and see how it’s doing. Don’t feel bad about stopping your workout as soon as you feel uncomfortable. This is no time to find a new PR or test the limits in any way.
6. Make sure to stay hydrated before, during and after your workout.
If you are recovering from any type of stomach bug, this is extremely important because you are most likely more dehydrated from losing lots of fluids. Be sure you are drinking plenty of water before, during and after your workout.
7. Keep a healthy diet. I know your appetite isn’t what it usually is when you are sick, but it is important to eat as many fruits and veggies as you can to help with recovery and give you the energy you need to get through the workout.
What are you workouts like when you come back from being sick?
when do you give yourself the okay to start exercising again?
