Get this – You’re going to the gym and working hard to reach your fitness goals. You’ve got your workout schedule thoroughly organized, you’re in a great mindset and feeling great when all of a sudden, something comes up that causes you to start missing workout sessions or you are going on a planned holiday break. Everyone one of us would’ve experienced this and we do go on holidays at times, don’t you agree?Real-life has an uncanny way of surprising us and derailing our carefully thought out plans.It’s a busy time of year for most of us, sleeping over with relatives, travelling, getting up early and going to sleep late. While it’s the holiday season you can be left feeling fatigued and sluggish rather than recharged and ready. It’s completely normal for your training consistency to ebb and flow throughout the course of your life. The most important thing is that you get started again! Here are a few sage points for getting back into the gym after a break.
Take 20-30% off of your working weights and start there for the first week
Start slowly by reducing 20-30% off your usual working weights for the first week and build back up gradually. When it comes to getting back in the gym after a 2+ week break, DONT pick up where you left off – Especially if your training was going really well, this is a good way to pick up a minor injury.Doing too much too soon can be intimidating for some. Keep in mind, your level of progression is based on your total time off, the reason for the break (injury, surgery, work, personal, holidays), and your prior fitness level. As soon as you start with something small and feel good from that, you’ll be able to continue and get back into your fitness wagon. Your first workouts should focus on flexibility and light cardio to get the blood flowing and reinvigorate your muscles.
Stick to your fitness plan
Keep the rest of your workout program the same with what you have been doing before taking a break and stick to it reduced weights to start with.
Warm Up properly
Before every training session, you should warm up properly to prevent any injuries and to train safely.
Remember that “post-workout high”
It can be difficult and feel disheartening to develop certain skills or strengths and not being able to pick up where you left off. We focus too much on the effort of it, rather than the outcome. The thing with a workout is whileit can be hard in the moment, you will always feel absolutely amazing afterward.
Take a one-month challenge
Setting S.M.A.R.T. goal-specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-sensitive fitness goals is vital. By having it broken down into a smaller time frame, it won’t feel so overwhelming.When you’re getting back into fitness, your exercise plan should include components of cardiovascular endurance, resistance training, and flexibility.
Get an exercise buddy
Everything feels a little bit easier when we have a support system to lean on. If you’re feeling a little uneasy about getting back into a fitness routine, you canask a friend or family member to go to the gym for a fitness program.
No negative self-talk
We often hear clients describe themselves as “lazy” because they haven’t been to the gym in a while. But negative words aren’t helpful – instead, try talking about how excited you are to be back.Remember habits are created by the consistent daily activities we chose to put our time towards. So, the more consistent you are with your exercise routine, the easier it is to form healthy habits. Once it’s a habit, you just go on autopilot, and exercising becomes a part of your routine.
Listen to your body
You might feel extra tight or even a bit achy after a couple of weeks off so take it easy and give yourself a couple of weeks to work back up to some heavier weights. Chances are, your body is going to let you know when it’s working hard, but learn the difference between hurts-so-good and hurts-not-so-good. Slowly change your nutrition patterns over time so you don’t feel overwhelmed and then give up out of frustration.
Get good sleep
It’s good to tuck in a little early and hit snooze on some days. Your body will thank you. Simple “wins” like drinking more water, trying to get an extra hour of sleep by going to bed early might seem easy, but you build momentum, which will quickly translate into bigger wins and more results.
Don’t change everything at once
When getting back into a fitness routine, you may be tempted to change your eating habits, too. Oftentimes, people tend to fixate on making too many changes at once which might become a little overwhelming.
Get a personal trainer
If you want the extra help, then getting a personal trainer can really do the trick. He or she can create a workout plan for you based on your goals. If you are recovering from an injury though, we recommend that you do enlist the help of a trainer or coach. This is so that modifications can be made for your rehab process. This is vital so that you don’t undo all the progress you’ve made in recovery and make it worse. If you’re ready to start training again and need inspiration on where to start,we can guide you.
Looking to get back to the gym after taking a break?
We’re thrilled to get you back to a fitness routine with Australia’s best personal training at Point cook, Victoria.! And, we always keep your safety in mind. Staying motivated can always be a challenge, but with Stronglife’s best fitness coaches in Australia, you’ll find a perfect way to stay active. Start building a better you with our highly qualified personal trainers – Get in touch!
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