Flu, colds, and all the nasty illnesses are a pain in the ass. Especially for fitness freaks like us. Skipping ropes may be one of our favourite routines but we certainly hate skipping our workouts.
But don’t worry, the fitness gods won’t punish you for missing a few sessions in the gym.
If you’re currently housebound because of the seasonal flu, or recovering from the normal colds and cough, a good amount of rest and some pills will certainly get you back in the game in no time.
But if you’re experiencing a more serious condition. You might be sidelined for a longer period, like a month or so, to get you back in the peak of health.
During that period, you’ll certainly miss a ton of workouts. Not to discourage you, but your health and fitness may dwindle as your body battles an infection.
So take it easy, gym bunny. Rest, do everything to recuperate and get your energy back. Once you’ve recovered, trust us, you’ll be well on your way to finally getting swole again.
But should you hit the gym right away after recovery?
The answer is a big no. Illnesses like flu, colds, and cough impact your respiratory system negatively. That’s why it’s important not to engage in any activity that can leave you panting and gasping for air.
A little stretching is okay. But a short run? It might be overkill. We know that the “no pain, no gain” or “no excuses” fitness culture tells you otherwise, but mate, take a day off! It’s totally okay, trust us.
Your immune system is certainly compromised and it’s not back at full strength even after recovery. So let your body completely heal first.
Ideally, you have to make sure that you haven’t had any fever or temperature spikes for at least 48 hours. If you’re coming back from a not so serious illness, this could be enough for your system to tank up and let you pick up where you left off.
How to properly bounce back after recovery
Once you’ve made sure that your body is in very good condition, it’s time to get those muscles working. But it doesn’t mean that you have to go all out. Remember that you’ve been away from the treadmill and workout benches for so long that your body might need some readjusting.
Here’s how to ease back into your usual workout:
Just a walk in the park
Walking may not be as intense as running or weightlifting, but it allows muscle movement without using up all of your energy.
It’s also the best way to size up your strength or stamina, especially after weeks of inactivity. Just stroll around your area and see if it tires you easily. If it does, you might have to take the sidelines for a little more.
The 50% rule
Gym-goers work out at different paces, intensity, and time frames. So it’s hard to quantify how much work should be done by everyone who’s returning to the gym after being sick.
So the rule of thumb is, whatever routines you were into, rip 50% off of them.
For example, if you normally do 30-minute runs on the treadmill, run for only 15 minutes. On the other hand, if you were lifting 40-kg weights in 8-12 reps per set, cut them down to 20 and target only 4-6 reps per set.
It sounds easy, especially for a beast like you. But that’s the whole point. The goal here is not to go berserk as you used to two weeks ago, but to take it just nice and slow until your body can go beast mode again.
Workout intervals
Aside from the 50% rule, it would be better if you squeeze in a rest day in between the workouts. This is part of the whole process of letting your body heal while you’re slowly getting your groove back.
If you used to hit the gym every day, put a rest day in between. But if you used to work out every other day, you might need two days off every after a session at the gym.
This might go on for a couple of weeks. But you can get back to your normal routine once you feel that your body can already handle it.
Stay hydrated
This is a no-brainer and we can’t stress this enough. Drinking your fluids is important in every workout sesh especially if you’ve had your share of sick days. Always drink an ample amount of water not only to regain your energy but also to help your body fend off infections.
Listen to your body
There could be an instance where you’ll find yourself exhausted when doing simple routines even though you followed the 50% rule or rested in between sessions. And that’s okay. This is the part where you should listen to your body more than to us. After all, nobody knows your body more than you.
So if this happens, don’t be afraid to shake things up in our recommendations. Take an extra day off, if needed. Take it easy on the routines for which you think your body is not yet ready. Or just completely strike them off the schedule.
This way you won’t risk yourself getting over fatigued and ruin the whole process of recovery.
Where to get those muscles worked up
If you’re looking for a place where you can start working out again after a long break, our machines are available 24/7. Whether you’re a noob or a pro, you can always drop by to sweat out here in RecXpress.
We’re in six different locations namely, Bentleigh, Cheltenham, Clayton, East Brighton, Huntingdale, and Ormond!
We’ve also been helping people achieve their fitness goals which come only at a small price.For only $11 a week, you can enjoy a membership and get access to our top-notch machines and expert training!
If you’re not satisfied with our gear and professional coaching, you can always walk away and don’t look back, but we’re pretty confident that you’re going to love it at Rec Xpress, just as much as we do.
As long as you’re committed to getting back in good shape and good health, you’re welcome here at RecXpress!