Exercise After Being Sick (My Go-To 20-Minute Strength Workout)
Ease back into exercise after being sick with this gentle 20-minute strength workout. This is the exact routine I do to get back into a regular fitness routine after a break due to illness or injury. It’s simple and effective without being too strenuous, and always makes me feel better! I’ll also explain how to know when it’s safe to return to exercise after sickness, and whether you should workout while sick.
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I’m a mom of 3 young kids who attend daycare and elementary school – which means I spend a fair part of each fall and winter battling various colds, viruses and bugs that come home with my children.
Before returning to exercise after being sick, you need to assess your symptoms and determine whether exercise will help or hurt. Once you’re feeling up to it, I recommend starting with a gentle strength training routine to ease back into fitness.
I know how frustrating it can be to feel sidelined by illness or injury when you have fitness goals you’re working towards. Just remember this is temporary and won’t impact your progress in the long term.
Before You Restart Your Fitness Routine
After being sick, it’s especially important to listen to your body and what your body needs. Prioritize rest, fuel your body with hydration and protein and ease back in when you’re feeling up to it.
Exercise after illness is beneficial once recovery is underway: it can help boost your mood, increase circulation and improve sleep quality, which can lead to a speedier recovery. That said, jumping back into fitness too quickly can actually worsen symptoms and extend your illness. Exercise increases your heart rate and body temperature, which can increase the risk of dehydration if you’re already running a fever. When your body is fighting an infection, you may feel weaker than normal and thus more prone to injury.
These are general rule of thumb I personally follow to determine whether exercise is safe or not:
- Exercise is okay if… Your symptoms are “above the neck,” such as a mild sore throat, headache, runny nose or nasal congestion.
- Skip the workout if…Your symptoms are “below the neck” such as fever, full body muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, chest congestion, bronchitis or a hacking cough.
It’s important to remember that a few days off your workout routine won’t hinder progress or impact your results. If you are truly sick or something feels off, don’t push yourself. You’re better off erring on the side of caution and taking an extra rest day versus pushing yourself too hard too soon, trying to routine to your normal workout routine and extending your illness.
Practical Tips to Keep in Mind
- Assess your symptoms. In general, moderate physical activity is okay (and can be beneficial) if you have a cold or other mild illness. If you are dealing with more severe illnesses (such as COVID or the flu), wait until you’ve been fever-free for over 24 hours without meds.
- Start slowly. When you’re ready to return to exercise, light exercise and low intensity options like walking, low-impact strength training, mobility flows, stretching and yoga may be better options than running or high intensity workouts right after illness.
- Reduce intensity. This isn’t the time to be going for personal bests or all-out effort. Consider reducing the intensity and duration of your typical workout as you ease back into movement.
- Stay well-hydrated. Prioritize consuming plenty of liquids and electrolytes to support your immune system as you recover. I make a batch of this lemon ginger tea weekly during colder months to support my immune system!
Check with your doctor before beginning any physical activity if you are unsure about what’s safe or have questions.
Workout Specifics
Ease back into movement after illness with this simple strength training routine. This low-impact workout is also a great option for beginners and pregnancy/postpartum. You’ll target the legs, arms, back, chest and core, all in just 20 minutes. I’ll coach you through each exercise, providing modifications throughout the workout so you can scale this to your fitness level.
I recommend adding this full-body workout to your strength training home workout plan 1-2 times a week. If you’re feeling a little under the weather but still up for workouts, I recommend following a deload week workout plan.
Workout Equipment
Light to Medium Dumbbells. I’m using 15-25 lbs. I recommend using 50-60% of your typical weight while you’re returning from illness.
Workout Instructions
Follow along with the guided 20-Minute Full Body Strength Workout on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer (CPT), Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- Guided Warm-Up and Cool-Down
- 9 Full Body Exercises
- Reps (complete 10 repetitions of each exercise, alternating sides as needed)
- Repeat All 9 Moves x2 Sets
Workout Outline
1. Squat
Targets: Legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hips and core.
How to Do a Squat
- Start standing feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand outside your thighs.
- Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer 3 toes.
- Drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position.
Modification: If squats hurt your knees, try one of these lunge and squat alternatives.
2. Down Dog Push-Up
Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, back, hamstrings, hip flexors, calves, ankles, abs and core.
How to Do a Down Dog Push-Up
- Start in a table top position (quadruped) on all fours; shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees.
- Actively press your hands into the mat as you tuck your toes under.
- As you exhale, lift your knees off the mat, straightening your legs as you press your hips up towards the ceiling to find a downward-facing dog. Hold the down dog pose, pressing your chest towards your thighs.
- Then shift your weight forward into a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, weight evenly distributed amongst all 10 fingers.
- Hold this plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
- Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your hips (not out to the sides).
- Once at the bottom of your push-up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position, then press your hips back to return to down dog.
Modification: Lower to your knees for a modified down dog to plank and push up.
3. Split Lunge
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings and core.
How to Do a Split Lunge
- Start standing feet hip-width apart, holding 1 dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- Step your right leg back into a lunge position. Imagine your feet are on train tracks – front left foot planted on the mat and back right toes on the mat. Feet stay planted in this position throughout the entire movement.
- Lower your back right knee towards the mat until your front thigh is parallel to the mat. Both knees bent at 90 degrees. Shoulders remain stacked over hips.
- Then drive up through your front heel to stand tall, returning to the top of the movement.
4. Kneeling Single-Arm Back Row
Targets: Latissimus dorsi (or lats; the largest back muscle known for its large, flat “V” shape).
How to Do a Kneeling Single-Arm Back Row
- Start in a kneeling position, knees under hips, core engaged. Keep your left knee on the mat and place your right foot flat on the mat, right thigh parallel to the ground (right knee in line with right hip).
- Hold the dumbbell in your left hand, lightly resting it on the ground in front of your left knee in line with your right foot. You should feel a stretch through your back muscles.
- Exhale as you pull the dumbbell back toward your left lower ribcage, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Inhale as you slowly extend your left arm back to the starting position, maintaining control through the full range of motion.
Modification: Perform a single arm row from a standing position.
5. Lateral Lunge
Targets: Gluteus medius (the outer part of your butt used for side-to-side movements), quads, hamstrings, hip adductors and abductors, hip flexors, and calves.
How to Do a Lateral Lunge
- Stand with your feet under hips, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Step your left leg out to the side as you push your hips back, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. Think of performing a single-leg squat with your left leg. Knees and toes are pointing forward.
- Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, stepping back to center.
6. Overhead Press
Targets: Shoulders, triceps, rear delts and upper back muscles.
How to Do an Overhead Press
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a single dumbbell horizontally at your chest.
- Engage your core, slightly tucking your pelvis to protect your lower back. Push the dumbbell overhead until your arms are fully extended, elbows near your ears.
- Lower the dumbbells down to chest-height, returning to the starting position.
7. Overhead Tricep Extension
Targets: The long head of the triceps and all the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, core, glutes and lower back.
How to Do a Overhead Tricep Extension
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and a soft bend in your knees.
- Hold 1 dumbbell vertically overhead and activate your core by squeezing your glutes and abs to protect your lower back.
- Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).
- Squeeze through the back of your arms to straighten your elbows.
8. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
Targets: Glutes, hamstring and hip abductor muscles.
How to Do a Dumbbell Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell across your hips, resting the dumbbell on your hip bones.
- Press through your heels to raise your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Squeeze your glutes hard and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise.
- Lower your hips back down to a hovering position and repeat. Keep constant tension on the band throughout this movement.
9. Bicycle Crunches
Targets: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominal muscles, obliques and hips.
How to Do Bicycle Crunches
- Start lying flat on your back, lower back pressing firmly into the mat. Bring your legs to a raised 90 degree bend.
- Lift your head, neck and shoulder blades off the ground (avoid straining your neck). Place your hands behind your head and think about pressing your head into your fingertips.
- Lift your right elbow towards your left knee as you extend your right leg long. Aim to touch the left elbow to the mat.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Pulling your left elbow towards your right knee as you extend your left leg long, right elbow touches the mat.
- Continue to repeat this ‘bicycling’ movement, alternating knee to elbow crunches.
Modification: Bend your knees, performing bicycle marches.
FAQs
How long should I wait after the flu before resuming exercise?
With the flu or similar illnesses, you should be fever-free for at least 24 hours (without medication) before resuming exercise. Most people will require 3-5 days of true rest before resuming gentle movement. Then, ease back into your regular exercise routine slowly.
Is it safe to exercise if I am still recovering from a cold?
If your symptoms are mild and “above the neck” (stuffy/runny nose, mild sore throat or sneezing), light movement is generally safe and may improve your mood. Symptoms like dizziness, elevated heart rate and shortness of breath are all warning signs from your body to slow down and rest.
Listening to Your Body Is Essential
When returning to fitness after illness, listening to your body and following its cues is essential. Every body is different, and recovery time may look different for different people. You won’t lose progress over a few days or weeks of recovering from illness. Be patient, prioritize rest and hydration, and the workouts will be here for you when you’re ready to return.
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2 comments
Hello dear, Lindsey. I love your video with you and Rachel. I need a little advise from you. I’m 66 yrs old. over weight, trying to get in shape. I try and walk on my treadmill, every day and some days, my stationary bike, and keep up with you ladies, on some workouts. LOL. You’re great. Need to ask you, what work-outs would you suggest me to do everyday, or everyother day. I can lift weights, only issue I have is, little knee pain. Other than that, for an old lady, in pretty good shape, need help, not on any meds, just my vitamins. Please send any suggestions, I get lost in the video workouts and not sure what to do, to plan a week of workouts. I Just want to move, and keep up with my grandkids. Keep you great work-outs on youtube.
Thank you, so much !! Love Ya, Lori
Hi Lori! Thank you so much for your sweet message — I appreciate you! I love that you’re walking, biking, and moving with us. That’s amazing, and you should be really proud of that consistency. If you’re looking for a simple, guided plan so you don’t have to guess what to do each week, I’d recommend starting with my Strong 20 program. It’s low-impact and only 20 minutes a day — perfect if you’re easing in, have a little knee pain, or just want something structured. The plan tells you exactly what workout to do each day, so you won’t feel lost. Keep listening to your body — you’re doing great, and staying active for those grandkids is such a beautiful goal. Keep showing up! -Lindsey