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7 WAYS TO GET BACK INTO YOUR WORKOUT AFTER A BREAK
It’s tough, but it can be done and will make you better
24 ก.พ. 2562
You were making such excellent progress. Then the holidays attacked! And suddenly the personal excess baggage has reappeared where you least want it to. But hey, that’s totally okay. We’ve all been there, done that. Here’s how to get your workout plan back on track.
#1 Take it easy
Don’t beat yourself up for skipping gym and swearing you’ll make up for it. That’s just the guilt talking. Overcompensating for missed workouts like this makes them look more daunting than they are. Chill.
#2 Just not up to it? That’s okay.
Just get yourself to the gym, then you can decide if you’d rather have some retail therapy instead. But once you’re out of your home, you’ll likely rediscover your mojo and carry on. (Just don’t say, “I need a snack first.” Because one thing leads to another and it’s game over.)
#3 Be warm and gentle.
Your joints and muscles will be stiff from being out of practice. That’s normal. Ease yourself back into the swing of things by gently stretching and warming up. This tells your body you’re back in the game and it preps itself to join you by gradually raising your heart rate. Your body’s smart – smarter than any phone!
#4 Keep it simple and sweet.
This goes back to #1. Don’t try to restore your pre-holiday fitness level all at once. Think quality, not quantity. The aim is to get you moving again, so even a low-intensity workout of 10 minutes a day, twice a week is great until your body is fully reintroduced to a full-length routine. When does this happen? When you’ve got your form back.
#5 Good form is crucial to avoid injuries
Good technique and form keep you from injuring yourself while you get back into the groove. How do you do this? First, slow down both body and mind. Relax yourself into your routine and don’t be like the Hulk. Stay cool and limber. Be deliberate in your movements and stay conscious of your breathing during your routine. In a week or two, you should be able to up the frequency and duration of your workout.
#6 Rest
Workouts are impossible without adequate rest. You know you’re ready to go again when you feel rested. How? Listen to your body and not your mind or something you read on a noisily competitive forum somewhere. Remember to cool down after your workout too.
#7 Get a workout buddy
We keep saying, because it’s true: google is not your best friend where the gym is concerned. Your workout buddy is because he or she keeps you involved in what you’re doing, and accountable to yourself, and to each other too. Hey, this works for all areas of life.
#1 Take it easy
Don’t beat yourself up for skipping gym and swearing you’ll make up for it. That’s just the guilt talking. Overcompensating for missed workouts like this makes them look more daunting than they are. Chill.
#2 Just not up to it? That’s okay.
Just get yourself to the gym, then you can decide if you’d rather have some retail therapy instead. But once you’re out of your home, you’ll likely rediscover your mojo and carry on. (Just don’t say, “I need a snack first.” Because one thing leads to another and it’s game over.)
#3 Be warm and gentle.
Your joints and muscles will be stiff from being out of practice. That’s normal. Ease yourself back into the swing of things by gently stretching and warming up. This tells your body you’re back in the game and it preps itself to join you by gradually raising your heart rate. Your body’s smart – smarter than any phone!
#4 Keep it simple and sweet.
This goes back to #1. Don’t try to restore your pre-holiday fitness level all at once. Think quality, not quantity. The aim is to get you moving again, so even a low-intensity workout of 10 minutes a day, twice a week is great until your body is fully reintroduced to a full-length routine. When does this happen? When you’ve got your form back.
#5 Good form is crucial to avoid injuries
Good technique and form keep you from injuring yourself while you get back into the groove. How do you do this? First, slow down both body and mind. Relax yourself into your routine and don’t be like the Hulk. Stay cool and limber. Be deliberate in your movements and stay conscious of your breathing during your routine. In a week or two, you should be able to up the frequency and duration of your workout.
#6 Rest
Workouts are impossible without adequate rest. You know you’re ready to go again when you feel rested. How? Listen to your body and not your mind or something you read on a noisily competitive forum somewhere. Remember to cool down after your workout too.
#7 Get a workout buddy
We keep saying, because it’s true: google is not your best friend where the gym is concerned. Your workout buddy is because he or she keeps you involved in what you’re doing, and accountable to yourself, and to each other too. Hey, this works for all areas of life.
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