Returning to exercise after illness, step by step

When you start feeling better, it is easy to rush back to old workouts. Your body has been through stress and needs time. These are general guidelines for adults after a mild acute illness, not a replacement for medical advice.

When it is too soon

Wait until the fever has gone and your energy returns. The neck rule helps: if symptoms are above the neck, such as a mild stuffy nose, light activity may be fine. If they are below the neck, such as a cough, chest discomfort, muscle aches or diarrhoea, rest.

Three phases of return

1. First days: an easy walk, stretching and mobility exercises, with no tracking and no pressure.
2. After a few symptom free days: light bodyweight strength work or slow cycling, breathing comfortably and able to talk.
3. After a week without problems: add pace and load gradually.

Progress according to how you feel the next day, not only during the session. If you are tired, step back.

Water and meals

After illness we often drink less than we need. Drink through the day and eat regular smaller meals with protein and complex carbohydrates. If you had diarrhoea, vomiting or heavy sweating, choose soup or an oral rehydration solution from the pharmacy alongside water, and drink a glass of water before training.

Stop at once and contact a doctor for chest pain, severe breathlessness, a racing heart, fainting or a returning fever.

In the first week keep a short note after each session: how you slept, how tired you are and whether any symptom returned. If symptoms return or tiredness worsens, go back to the previous easier phase and add a rest day.

Sources: Mayo Clinic.