One More Benefit of Physical Fitness

As a longtime health and fitness enthusiast, I've experienced firsthand the many benefits of being physically fit, such as increased energy, strength and stamina, a slowing down of the aging process, and improved overall quality of life.

But I recently experienced a benefit of physical fitness that I had never experienced before, and it proved to be powerful.

On the evening of July 21, 2009, I went to a local hospital because I was very nauseous and had severe pain in my lower abdominal area. I knew this was more than an upset stomach or some sort of stomach virus. It turned out that I had an appendicitis, and my appendix was very inflamed.

After surgery to remove my appendex, I spent two days in the hospital. This was the first time I had ever had surgery or spent more than a couple of hours in a hospital, and it was not a pleasant experience.

I was sore from my surgery and had no appetite at all. As a matter of fact, I didn't eat any solid food during my two days in the hospital. I received fluids via IV and drank water and a little bit of milk.

My first three days at home weren't much better. I had to take a strong antibiotic twice a day, which made me nauseous and left a bad taste in my mouth, This made it very difficult for me to eat or drink anything. The three incisions in my abdomen were also quite sore. My once fit and healthy body seemed to be deteriorating before my eyes.

But things changed quickly. Six days after my surgery I was off of the antibiotic and I started to get my appetite back. My energy and strength started increasing each day and my deflated muscles started filling out. I was rapidly starting to look and feel like my old self.

A week and a half after my surgery I was in the gym lifting weights, and later that same day I mowed my lawn. As I write this article two weeks after my surgery, I haven't yet regained all of my lost energy and strength, but I'll be in the gym tomorrow lifting weights and I expect to be fully recovered very soon.

How was I, at 52 years old, able to recover so quickly from an appendicitis? It's really quite simple. It was because of how physically fit I was prior to my illness. Being fit and healthy helped me recover much faster than if I had been out of shape.

The take home message from my story is that there are many benefits of being physically fit, but the one benefit of physical fitness that's often overlooked is how it can speed up recovery from illness or surgery.

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