By Getting back into shape is even more frustrating for those who have suffered a long stretch of inactivity due to illness. The pain stems from knowing how strong and in shape you once were and the long road ahead; you have to get back to the way you used to. Let me fill you in on something that may help give you some hope on this journey. Once we start training, our bodies build a computer of our muscle mass potential called “muscle memory.” Even if you spend years outside of the weight training area, your body will remember your progress, and it will take you less time to get there than it did the first time around. During your time recovering from illness, I would suggest that your best bet is to pay excellent attention to your nutrition. This is a time for healing as best as you can. Nutrition catered specifically to regeneration and eliminating inflammation is more so a higher than average fat diet. Think in terms of salmon, avocado, olive oil, nuts, coconut oil, egg yolks and full-fat dairy products (better yet, why not try plant-based yogurt with probiotics). Then I would also encourage eating protein with every meal to retain as much muscle mass as possible. Although muscle is lost due to inactivity, you will still encourage protein synthesis with nutrition. When you do become well enough to start training again, you must take it slow. I know that you will be ready and waiting to take on the world and stay in the gym for hours and hours on end – but don’t push yourself too far too soon. Your body needs to build itself up – brick by brick, one slow step at a time. You will most definitely become very sore, tired and probably feel down. You will look at the weight you once lifted and wonder if you’ll ever get back up there again. I’m here to tell you with certainty – you can, and you will do it! But it won’t happen in one workout, one meal or a second. It may take many months, or even a year or so. This all depends on your goal. Start small, and remember every week, how far you’ve come along this journey. It’s such a blessing to be able to start all over again and come up stronger than ever. You most definitely can and will do this. One thing I’d like you to work on is your mindset. During this time, you may easily become discouraged and develop bouts of depression. This can very likely escalate – especially if you haven’t been exercising for a while. Most of us exercise (lift weights mainly) because it gives us a sense of empowerment, and it becomes an outlet for our misfortunes in life. It’s what drives us and gives us strength. When that’s taken away, it can easily escalate to depression. Visualise how you would like to look, what kind of weight you would like to lift and of course, how you would like your health to become in the future. It’s so important to focus on what you want rather than dwell on your limitations right now. They will not last long, and you will get through it. I want you to believe you can – and you most certainly will. Will the road to recovery be long and hard? Yes, it will be. Will you have moments of self-doubt and want to throw in the towel? Yes. Will it all be worth the time, effort and pain? Absolutely!
Top 5 ways to get your body back after a long illness
- Focus on your nutrition first. Remember that food gives our bodies energy, and your nutrition’s main focus should always be to nourish, not torment. Junk food may be great for the initial moment, but long term, it will not give you the energy you need to bounce back after. Focus on simple nutrition. Protein, green veggies, healthy carbs and good quality fats with every meal.
- Take it slow. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and despite your muscle memory, you still have to take it slow. The old saying goes that it’s one rep, one meal and one recovery at a time to build your body or lose the weight you want. Each time you train, no matter how small that session is, you will lead you towards results. Aim for the best you possibly can whilst being reasonable about your capacity. You will get there.
- Allow enough rest days in between. There will be days (especially when you begin training) that you may be extremely sore and need some extra recovery days. This is all normal and will not stall your progress in any way. One thing to keep in mind is that a sore body that trains can lead you to injury. You don’t want to become susceptible to this happening, holding you back even more.
- Focus on the exercise that makes you feel good. Although I would always advocate weight training, this doesn’t light the passion fire within for some people. If that’s the case, do something you enjoy most and do that regularly. It could even be something as simple as walking. That’s still a joy. If you don’t quite know what you like anymore, try a few new things and see how they make you feel.
- Sleep more, and don’t question yourself. It’s easy to become a lot tougher on yourself because you feel so tired all the time. After a long illness or even surgery, you will need more sleep than usual. Our bodies use sleep to recover and regenerate. Allow your own body to dictate to you what it needs at any one moment and go with the flow.