How to Start Exercising Again After Being Sick (Without Guilt or Burnout)

You’ve been sick, you’ve been resting, and now you’re wondering, "How do I start working out again without feeling completely wiped out?" Or maybe you feel guilty because you “fell off track” and now you’re struggling to get back into a routine. I get it.

After my family and I recently recovered from the flu, I found myself in the same situation. I wanted to move again, but I knew that if I pushed too hard, I’d only set myself back further. Over the years, I’ve learned the hard way that forcing yourself back into workouts too soon after being sick leads to exhaustion, not progress. So today, I want to walk you through exactly how to return to exercise safely, what types of workouts to do first, and how to overcome the guilt of taking time off.

First, Give Yourself Permission to Rest

I want to start with something I wish someone had told me years ago: Taking time off when you're sick is NOT a failure.

For the longest time, I had this bad habit of pushing through sickness, refusing to rest, and convincing myself that skipping workouts meant losing progress. But do you know what happened when I forced my body into workouts before it was ready? I got even sicker, felt even more fatigued, and delayed my recovery.

Your body is not working against you. It’s working hard to fight off whatever illness you’ve had. Resting is not weakness—it’s wisdom.

If you're in the middle of an illness right now, give yourself full permission to rest without guilt. Movement isn’t going anywhere, and when your body is ready, you’ll be able to ease back in.

What Workouts Can You Do When You’re Sick?

Exercise isn’t always off the table when you’re sick, but the type of movement you choose makes all the difference.

Use this simple rule to decide if movement is okay:

✅ If your symptoms are above the neck (mild cold, stuffy nose, sore throat), you can usually handle gentle movement like:

• Walking
• Light stretching
• Slow yoga
• Bodyweight exercises (but at a lower intensity)

🚫 If your symptoms are below the neck (fever, body aches, deep fatigue), skip the workout. Your body needs all its energy to heal, and pushing through could extend your recovery time.

Think of it like trying to run a marathon with a gas tank on empty. You’ll only drain yourself more.

How to Ease Back Into Exercise After Being Sick

Once you're past the worst of your illness but not quite at 100%, this is where most people go wrong. They jump back into their regular workouts, push too hard, and end up feeling worse a few days later.

Let’s NOT do that.

Instead, ease back in with low-intensity movement. This might look like:

• A short walk instead of a full workout
• Mobility exercises to wake up stiff muscles
• A bodyweight workout at 50% effort
• Light resistance training with fewer sets and reps

Your goal at this stage isn’t to “make up” for lost time—it’s to wake up your body without overloading it.

The First Workout Test: Check Your Energy Levels

Here’s how to know if your body is ready to handle more movement:

After your first light workout back, ask yourself:

• Do I feel better and more energized?
• Or do I feel wiped out and drained?

If you feel refreshed, that’s a good sign you can start gradually increasing intensity.

If you feel completely exhausted, scale back again. Recovery is not a race—it’s a process.

When to Resume Your Normal Workout Routine

Once you’re feeling about 80-90% better, you can start thinking about structured workouts again.

BUT don’t go from zero to 100 overnight.

This is where my Rhythm Dial Method comes in (which I talk about in the Jumpstart Your Health Workshop—sign up at the link below!). Instead of pushing yourself to do exactly what you were doing before you got sick, turn the dial up gradually:

• Instead of 30-minute workouts, try 15-minute sessions
• Instead of lifting heavy, use moderate resistance
• Instead of 5 workouts per week, start with 2-3 workouts and build from there

💡 Pro Tip: The Stronger Collective App has mobility sessions, short workouts, and recovery-friendly programs so you can scale up without overdoing it.

How to Let Go of Guilt & Avoid the All-or-Nothing Trap

This is the part where a lot of women struggle. They either:
1️⃣ Jump back in too fast and burn out, OR
2️⃣ Feel guilty, procrastinate, and don’t work out at all

Either way, guilt sneaks in.

If you feel like you “lost progress” or “fell behind,” let me ask you this:

Would you ever tell your best friend she failed because she rested while she was sick?

No.

So why do we say it to ourselves?

Taking time off isn’t a setback—it’s part of the process. The key is not quitting altogether. Even if you’re scaling back, you’re still moving forward.

Final Thoughts: Give Yourself Grace & Trust the Process

If you’ve been sick, your body needs grace, not punishment. Instead of forcing yourself back, ease in, listen to your body, and trust that your strength will return.

Movement isn’t going anywhere—and neither is your progress. Let’s choose steady, sustainable fitness over guilt and burnout. 💪