Probably one of the most aggravating situations to occur
during a fitness regimen is falling ill. After months of strict diet and
training you are forced off your schedule. Even though every part of you wants
to keep pushing on it’s not the best plan of action. If taking time away from
your fitness regimen is to occur you want that time away to be as short as
possible. The following are a few suggestions to help get you back on track
fast.
1.
STOP all training
Your body’s number one priority is
its immune system. If it isn’t at 100% everything else stops until its defenses
are back to full capacity. That means no growth or recovery. Strenuous exercise
also tends to drop your immune system temporarily. You want your body
completely committed to combating whatever pathogen is invading; allow all that
energy that was being used for your workouts to be utilized defending your
system.
2.
Go off your diet/diet supplements
At the onset of illness your body
is at war, you need to give it every advantage you can. During your dieting
your body is at a slightly weakened, catabolic state. Feed your body whatever
it craves, but still consume all three macronutrients. Its not often you get to
eat whatever you want, enjoy it. Most diet supplements contain caffeine and
other supplements that dehydrate your system, most illnesses cause the same
issue. We all know that water balance is key in any situation. Plus since your
digestive system will more that likely be compromised you may never absorb the
products. Save a few servings and wait till you are recovered to begin your
regimen again.
3.
Do take immune boosting/daily supplements
Taking potentially immune boosting
herbs such as Echinacea and Elderberry can be a big help, but be aware of their
functions. Such herbs work great for short term use, but may have the opposite
effect if used for long periods. Continue taking your daily supplements,
especially your multivitamin. Your body is under extreme stress when under
attack by a pathogen, and its demand for key vitamins/minerals will be high.
Colostrum supplementation is also a good idea since many of its benefits stem
from its immune support quality.
4.
Make good use of your time off
Just because you are out of the
gym doesn’t mean you have to completely forget about it. Take the time to
really evaluate your training and diet. Ask yourself how you feel after your
sessions, if the muscles exercised are really feeling like they were worked to
peak potential, if the training style you are doing is giving the results you
think it should. Review your diet. With the extra time you have it may be a
good idea to research a bit and add some more diversity to what you are eating
daily. I think everyone at some point has fallen into the rut of eating the
same meals all the time. Again, ask yourself how you feel while training. Do
you feel energized and strong, or fatigue quickly and weak? These kinds of
questions may help you locate and correct mistakes in your diet and
macronutrient ratios. With how busy daily life can be, along with adding a
health and fitness regimen, we tend to forget about evaluating our efforts. This
habit can really hold back your results. Evaluate everything and make the
necessary adjustments. Start back to the gym with a fresh routine and diet and
see how your body reacts.
Becoming ill can be as aggravating
as an injury, but there are a few ways to give your body the best chance at a
speedy recovery. Give your body everything it needs and it will repay you with
a shorter time away from your regular schedule.
Michael
Petrinjak, CFT
Evolve
Training Systems
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