If you were a regular gym-goer or group exercise enthusiast before the events of the past year, chances are your training and physical activity levels have changed somewhat whilst facilities have been shut. Perhaps the shift to working from home has seen your daily activity levels drop or maybe it’s a long time since you had any kind of regular exercise routine but the last year has made you think more about the benefits of exercise for physical and mental health and you’re interested in getting started with something a bit more structured once gyms reopen. It may even be that the realisation that we may well be allowed out and about this summer after all has prompted you to make sure you feel and look your best. Whatever your situation, many of us are starting to think about the prospect of upping our training soon and having access to a greater variety of equipment and opportunities to exercise. Before you launch yourself into the gym or classes again, make sure you take note of my top tips below which will help you manage the transition with ease.
1) Start now! – If you feel that your exercise levels have gradually tailed off since the good intentions of the first lockdown all that time ago, there’s no need to wait another couple of weeks for gyms to reopen before you set the fitness wheels in motion. You could start to increase your daily activity levels by being more active around the house, upping your steps or putting more energy than usual into everyday physical activities such as cleaning. If you want to go a step further and try some short and simple at home exercise sessions – there’s never been more at home exercise content out there than this last year! With plenty of reputable YouTube channels as well as many gyms and personal trainers having produced their own content this year, there’s something out there for everyone. No equipment? No problem! There are plenty of exercises you can do using your body weight, bottles of water (or wine if the temptation isn’t too strong), a rucksack full of books and other everyday household items. Think of the next couple of weeks as the first small steps on that ladder towards your fitness goals, the sooner you can get started the better position you will be in when fitness facilities reopen. Try to think about the key components of fitness (see previous blog for more on this) and include activities that work on strength, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility.
2) Pace yourself – I always encourage people to think of health and fitness as long term lifestyle changes as opposed to short term fads or gruelling regimes. If you feel you’ve slacked off over the past year or however long – don’t be tempted to try and make up for this by battering yourself for a month straight! Firstly, after a while out of your usual exercise routine you may find that you take longer to recover from sessions and so now isn’t the time to be adding in additional ones! If you over-exercise or exercise whilst fatigued you’re more likely to injure yourself and thus put yourself out of action for even longer. Even without injuries, if your training load is too heavy you may well find yourself putting in less effort in sessions and thus not getting the most out of them and you’re also likely to lose your mental mojo quicker. Think ‘marathon not a sprint’ (if you’ll pardon the none-intentional training pun!)
There are many ways to regress your exercise programme which centre around the ‘FIIT principles’ – namely Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type . You may wish to add in additional rest days to assess your recovery as you get back into an exercise routine or reduce intensity by putting in less than maximal effort and keeping your heart rate at a lower level. Workouts may be shorter in duration or intervals of specific exercises in a circuit, for example, may be shorter with longer rest periods. Last but not least the type of exercise you do could change to lower impact or intensity options such as walking before you start running again or body weight squats or lunges before jumping options. Exactly how long it takes to resume normal activities or get to a certain point will depend on many factors including pre-lockdown health and activity levels as well as lifestyle factors over the past year but listen to your body and check how you feel during and after exercise to guide you. If in doubt, speak to an exercise professional who will be able to support you as you ease back into training or even begin your journey for the first time.
3) Go back to basics – Linked to the above point but to go into further detail – take some time to re-acquaint your body with the movement patterns used even if exercises were very familiar to you before lockdown. Depending on your activities and lifestyle over the past year, many of us will have lost at least some strength or cardiovascular fitness or seen postural and mobility changes. Take some time to find your current ‘starting point’ and re-lay the foundations. Again, this help to prevent injury from poor technique and can be supported by a fitness professional or training partner in your bubble.
4) Make your rest days count! – There are very many factors that can support or hinder our exercise routines which should be taken into account in order for us to get the most out of the work we put in. Stretching, foam rolling, good nutrition and adequate sleep should all be considered and taken into account as these may well have also slipped over the past year with changes in working situations (kitchen table laptop hunch for me!), working 3 paces from the fridge and visiting more frequently than ever before or spending more time on screens affecting sleep. Try not to view exercise or physical activity in isolation when considering your health and fitness goals and make sure to structure supporting activities around it for a truly holistic approach. If you feel you need any additional support in these areas, seek advice from a fitness or health professional who will be happy to ease you out of lockdown in the best way possible.
5) Manage your mindset – Whilst many people are raring to up their exercise levels and have felt held back this past year and missed their gym buddies and classmates, for others motivation just now may be seriously lacking for fitness related pursuits. You may be beating yourself up wishing you’d made more effort to stay active this last year or feeling sluggish or heavier than last time you did any significant exercise which will only serve to reduce motivation even further. It’s of utmost importance that we remind ourselves what a tough and crazy year this last one has been. Even at the best of times it can be difficult to focus on health and fitness as much as we’d like with all the other things we juggle – and this year has been, erm, somewhat worse than ‘the best of times?!’ Whilst we’re all in the same crazy storm of the ups and downs of life, don’t forget that we’re all in different boats. Make sure you’re not comparing your exercise plan, diet or body shape and size to anyone else whether over this last year or any other time. We are all different and have different priorities, goals and abilities when it comes to our lifestyle and the most important thing is that you’re making choices that support the best version of you at this time. Exercise is a gift to yourself, not a chore or punishment. It can be enjoyable and you’re highly likely to feel happier, more relaxed and damn proud of yourself with each step you take towards living the healthy lifestyle you deserve. Try reminding yourself that you ‘get to’ exercise more now, not that you ‘have to’, and do anything you can to make it as positive an experience as possible for yourself. See my previous blog on motivation for more help with this!
I hope you’ve found this blog useful and do let us know if you use any of these tips whilst easing back into training after a break, or anything else you’d add in. We wish you all the best in returning to gyms and fitness facilities if you’re gearing up for that in the near future but if you’re not quite there yet and need that extra support or have any questions please get in touch with Mike at Hamers360fitness or me on the Instagram handle below. Until next time 🙂
Bev Meakin – Personal Trainer/ Exercise Referral Officer and Complementary Therapist. Instagram – @bevs_life