Getting Back Into It

I’ve had clients in Chino Hills, CA, that have had to stop working out for a variety of ways and find that getting back into it is tough. There are a variety of reasons they stop their routine of working out and exercising that vary from illness or injury to life simply getting into the way. If you find you’ve had an interruption in your workout routine and now wonder how to start up again safely, here are a few tips that should help.

Whether you’ve skipped the gym for a month, season or even several years, don’t expect to pick up where you quit.

If you’re young and have a pause in your workout schedule, it will probably be easier than someone years older than you who skipped working out for the same amount of time. However, that doesn’t make it impossible, regardless of age or fitness level. The older you are and/or the longer you’ve been away from working out, the more you have to ease back into a workout program. Don’t expect to pick up where you left off if it’s been a while.

Don’t try to push a tough workout schedule.

While getting 150 minutes of mild aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity is important, that doesn’t mean it all has to be done at the gym. At first, especially if you’re really out of shape, if you hurt for two days after a workout, don’t push it, take a brisk walk and give yourself time to recover. The older you get, the harder recovery becomes, but it’s doable. If you’re working with a personal trainer, he or she will vary your workout to adjust for the amount of intensity you need. Start with a lower intensity workout to reintroduce exercise back into your life. Gradually, increase the intensity as your fitness improves.

Don’t make it all about strength, endurance or flexibility. Include all three types of exercise.

Some people love taking long runs and focus strictly on those, but that’s certainly not the way to go. You need all three types of exercises to be healthy. There’s nothing wrong with running or any other aerobic workout, unless you sacrifice strength training and flexibility training and focus just on it. Studies show that while running burns tons of calories, the body doesn’t discriminate on whether they come from fat tissue or lean muscle tissue. It can cause loss of muscle tissue. If you’re focusing only on strength, you’re more apt to injury. Have a workout program that includes all forms of exercise. A personal trainer can help you do it.

• Even if you’re fit, don’t do an intense workout seven days a week or do strength training every day. Your body needs rest between workouts to repair and build muscle tissue.
• Focus on form at first. You may think you remember how to do each exercise, but if you try to push yourself, form can get sloppy. Doing the exercise right helps reduce injury.
• If you can, restart with a workout buddy. Whether it’s going to the gym or taking a walk between gym days, a workout buddy can keep you focused and help you stick with a program of regular exercise.
• Focus on the prize. Have a goal. It could be to shed pounds, run a specific distance, or finish an entire workout without having to stop and rest between exercises. Track your progress. It will keep you going and make getting back into shape more worthwhile.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club