help to return to exercise...

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studentUK
studentUK Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
hey,
So I love the gym, usually working out about 5 times a week - mix of cardio and strength/core and I spin once a week.
But for the past 3 weeks I've had a bad chest infection and have been off exercise and in bed, which is so hard! The doctor said 'ease back into exercise', which I'm starting to do now.
Any advice on how to do this? What should I be doing in the gym? I've tried once or twice already and my fitness has reduced, been feeling tired etc (still recovering), so need to be careful....but how?!

any advice on returning to exercise after illness would be great...thanks!

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  • studentUK
    studentUK Posts: 7 Member
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  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Health issues sidelined me for a few months late last year. I started back slowly, just walking at first, and walking sloooow and for short distances - whatever I felt I could handle without overdoing it. Maybe just go every other day for a week or so and build back to five days as your strength returns. Once I started back to 5-6 days & my old routines, I still took it slow, doing my shorter workouts (I workout at home with DVDs) until I got stronger.

    Hope you are feeling better and can get back to it soon - chest infections are no fun at all!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I've been through multiple illnesses/injuries in the last couple years. Unfortunately, until recently - I never listened to the "ease back into it slowly" advice. I would go back to the gym and try and push myself to where I'd been before. All that happens when you do that? Well, you end up right back out of the gym.

    I recently took a "back to basics" approach to my workouts. After struggling with a back injury for the last 14 months (and it never seemed to get any better), I decided to go all the way back to the beginning. I went back to the gym and started walking SLOWLY on the treadmill for 60 mins and then I pick one machine and I basically use it to see where my body is. So far I've done the hip machines and the pull downs. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I could do with the pull down, but disappointed in the hip machines.

    You can't go back and expect to be able to do what you did before. So, go and just take it easy. Do what you've done before, but lower the weights, reduce the time or simply go slower. Give your body time to adjust. It just fought off an illness, so it is probably on the weaker side.
  • studentUK
    studentUK Posts: 7 Member
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    Great, thank you! I will try some long walks to build up the cardio side and try some weights soon to figure out what weights to work with at the moment.

    I can totally understand that you kept going back to the gym full speed - it is so tempting! But will do every other day and build it up. Illnesses are not fun!

    Thanks for the support :), hope you both keep healthy! x

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