What if you get injured or ill?

One of my big fears is embarking on a plan and then being thrown off course by an injury or illness.

Of course the first thing to think of is "what is right for you and your body" and ask yourself some hard questions - just to check:

Could it be that the diet or exercise plan you are doing is what is causing the illness in the first place? Maybe it is too extreme an exercise programme and that is causing you to be exhausted or your body to be too stressed? If so, what should you do?

My ultimate answer is always to:

Listen to yourself - your own intuition and knowledge of your own body is the best advice there is available to you. So do not ignore the warning signs and moderate the diet or exercise plan accordingly. You do not necessarily need to stop and there is no shame in adjusting your plan to what is right for you.

If you are still feeling well or are unsure what to do then seek professional advice. Talk to your GP if you are feeling unusually unwell as it may just be a coincidence and something may be happening that needs an expert to look at. Talk to a personal trainer or your class teacher to see if you can moderate your programme to suit you. If you are embarking on a diet plan speak to your GP or a nutritionist to see if they advocate your plan before you start.

Never do anything to extremes - take small steps to achieve success - The most successful dieters are those who lose steady regular amounts and work primarily on changing their behaviour. The best exercise programmes adjust steadily to the individual's capabilities and stay fresh and fun. The same rules apply whatever your aims. Extremes can lead to disaster and failure, so it pays to avoid them.

If you are unfortunate enough to get injured or ill then always allow yourself to recover properly and fully before you go back to your diet or training - possibly in an adjusted format once you have taken all the advice you are given. What you don't want to do is to make your injury or illness worse or more prolonged. Worst case scenario is you make yourself so ill you can never go back to it!

Remember - your plan will always be there to pick up when you are ready for it; it is not going anywhere.