The holidays were so long that you were tied with lots of parties, family reunions, work, and other commitments that it was almost impossible to add exercise into the mix. When this happens to some people, they may tend to forget about the routines they did in the previous months because they were too busy attending other events.
Perhaps you may think that the gatherings will only last for just a week. However, it turned into a month, and it kept extending. Without knowing it, you haven’t been into the gym for almost three months, and your home workout equipment has stayed in the closet for many days. Whatever the reason why you haven’t gotten into your exercise regime, the good news is that you can always try to get out of the rut and give yourself time to adjust in your workouts again.
Some of the strategies that you can try are the following:
1. Find your Motivation
What you need about fitness is that you need to want it without others who are forcing it on you. You may want to ask yourself why you are doing the exercises in the first place. You can know more about the healthy lifestyles that you may want to try on sites like https://www.bellyfitnesslab.com/ and discover more tips. It’s always the right kind of motivation that will get you in a better place.
It’s wise to forget about the external motivators and people that you see on the internet. One of the effective ways to get back in shape after a long hiatus is to ensure that you dig a little deeper and list down why you want to live healthier.
In many cases, people are focusing on health scares and weight. They want to look pretty for someone else. However, if you’re serious and want long-term change, you need to start asking and knowing deeper reasons why you are deciding to make the switch.
You may want to see your physical therapist first before you decide to hit the gym, though. This is because they can give you accurate assessments on what you should do and the exercises that you can’t do after a long rest. They will guide you on making your body adjust gradually to the physical activities that you’re doing so you’ll remain safe and healthy.
2. Take your Time
It would be best if you never took things fast as it will negate any gains that you’ve made in the past. A week of inactivity is detrimental enough for your physical performance. In studies of the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, it was found out that taking a break from any kinds of physical activities for two weeks can reduce the strength and mass of muscles. It will also take time to gain them back.
To make this clear, if you were diligent enough in your exercises last month, you shouldn’t expect that you can hop into the same routine without some form of a warm-up. The whole point of doing an exercise regime is to condition the body and lose weight, not break it. Forcing to work on a rigorous workout prematurely may also increase your risk of injuries. Know more about reducing risks when exercising when you click here.
What you may need to do is to take it slowly. Experts suggest starting with under half an hour of cardio, then gradually increasing the pace to longer sessions. You may even begin to incorporate the weights after the third week. It’s still best to hire a personal trainer or coach to help you work your way toward the right program.
3. Don’t Change Everything All at Once
When you get back into a routine, what you may do is to go to the gym, changing your diet, making your sleeping habits longer, and more. People are often fixated with changing their lifestyles, habits, and more that they became too overwhelmed and miserable. The best thing to do is focus on a single activity at a time so that you can measure your progress slowly but surely.
You may see those metered exercises where nutritionists may require changing an eating pattern very slowly, which must be done over time. This is important so that their clients won’t feel overwhelmed and they won’t give up because no feelings of frustration are present.
Adding water and protein shakes to your daily routine may be a good idea to ensure you’re hydrated after a long rest. This is because the more activity you do, the more sweat will surely follow. Replenish the key minerals in your body with water and hydration drinks to make recoveries faster.
4. Take Holistic Approaches in the Exercises
You may be tempted to do an individual mile per day and rest for the remainder of the day. However, it’s essential to think about your workout holistically. This can include stretching, cooldowns, recovery periods, and more.
What you want is to achieve a state of not feeling any pain, and you want to be functional at the same time. Unless you’re an athlete who is so used to these kinds of things, you may still need to improve your flexibility and mobility so that your body can adjust appropriately.
Recovery times are critical as they allow you to stretch out before an exercise and cool down after a heavy workout. Some even schedule a massage at least once a week or ensure that they follow their physical therapists’ schedule to relax and give the muscles time to recover. These are the tips in mitigating injuries so you can follow with your workout once again.
These tips are helpful as long as you follow them, and you couple them with research and experts’ advice. With the help of a guide to the right foods that you should be eating, knowing what your physical therapist thinks about your body’s current state, and doing the right exercises, you’ll go back in shape in no time.
