Getting back to the gym or into a workout routine when you've taken time off can be intimidating, here’s a simple guide to help you gradually ease back in without losing any motivation or increasing your chances of injury. Take in to account – there’s no rush, take your time. 

Your level of progression is mostly based upon how much time off you took, the reason for the break (career, family, work commitments), and your level of fitness you were at before. I advise returning to an exercise routine in a slow progressive manner. If you start off by placing too large of a demand on your body, you run the risk of injury by overloading your tissues and a quick regression backward. Being in pain and not being able to manage simple tasks such as walking and dressing is no fun and will certainly leave you mentally underwhelmed. “Managing your psychological progression as is important if not more important as your physical progress – keep your mind on track as this keeps your motivation on point to achieve your end goal,” says lifestyle blogger Mary Smith at 1 Day 2 Write and Next Coursework.

If you’ve been sedentary for a long time, a return is even more important. Why? Because our bodies change as we age. We lose muscle mass known as sarcopenia and strength as we age, and the muscles become less flexible and less hydrated. 

A New Start

Before starting an exercise program after being sedentary, get the all-clear from your doctor, especially if you are older in years, have heart disease, risk factors for heart disease, or lung problems. Ask if you need to monitor your heart rate during exercise to ensure safety. 

Once you have the green light, think about what type of exercise routine will suit you best, such as taking a tai chi or yoga class, doing a gym or home workout, or going for a brisk daily walk. Make it something you have motivation to do and also something of a low intensity and short duration, initially. 

“Think of your current abilities as you consider your options for exercise. Consider factors such as cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility to help you choose your exercise,” says Ronald K Williams a health writer at Brit Student and Write My X.

Then, slowly ease into exercise – low intensity building slowly to your target of longer sessions, more frequent sessions and more intense sessions. 

A Smarter Way to Workout

To avoid injury, warm up your muscles before exercising, particularly if you are out of shape, five minutes of brisk walking or an elliptical machine to increase circulation to the muscles to make them prepared for exercise. You’ll need to perform mobility exercises afterwards and repeat the whole process 2 - 3 times a week.

Don’t feel self-conscious if you’re not performing at your best, if you need to modify a particular exercise, or if you need to take a break. 

Your initial progressive step forward should be to perform a couple of days of flexibility workouts in order to increase blood flow while assisting range of motion and joint mobility. Flexibility can be the most overlooked protocols of fitness routines, and establishing these protocols early on will allow your body to properly readjust to the new demands that will be placed on it and for you to build better habits. If you have access to a physiotherapist or personal trainer, I recommend learning some flexibility movements and to develop a routine which suits your body. There are also plenty of home routines which you can perform from Youtube. 

Start Some Low Intensity Cardio

Now, depending on your availability and time management, try adding light cardiorespiratory workouts after a couple stretching or yoga sessions. A brisk 20-minute outdoor walk will help invigorate your mind and get your body moving again – plus it’s free and easy to do. Other options include low-impact HIIT workouts for beginners or swimming which is a great way to reduce strain on the body and help it recover. The treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike are great indoor alternatives. If you had a well-established fitness base prior to a long break, your first week may include light jogging as opposed to walking however this is relevant to each person and their background. 

Start Strength Training

After the first week of flexibility and light cardio, add in strength workouts into your new routine. The time you spent away from fitness probably involved a lot of sitting and sedentary habits, which causes weakness in your posterior chain. These are the muscles which sit on the back half of your body, they are important for basic everyday movement, as well as keeping your spine erect when at your desk. That is why its at this point you must really look to include exercises that improve posture, develop core strength, and activate muscles throughout your gluteus and hamstring regions to name just a few of the benefits.

Exercises like squats, lunges, bridges, TRX hamstring curls, stability ball mobility, and core work will help to strengthen these areas. TRX suspension trainer workouts and bodyweight workouts are perfect for working these muscles and helping to create a safe transition back into your fitness routine because you can work at your own level.

Get a Trainer 

If you want some extra help and guidance, you could enlist the help of a workout app or personal trainer can really keep you accountable and drive you on. If you just need some encouragement to get back into training, then a workout app which have an online trainer attached is a cost-effective method. You can choose how you want to train and your own goals but with consistent support just like a real life trainer.

A personal trainer in person at your local gym is also a valuable asset. They can create a workout plan for you based on your goals and targets, they show you how the machines work around the facility if you are unfamiliar. Unfortunately, personal training can be on the pricey side at times unlike the online version which can be more cost effective, there may be great offers like group fitness training. This is where you can have more cost effective sessions and maybe even share with a couple of friends!

If you are returning from an injury, it is recommended that you do enlist the help of a specialist who can help you with this. This is so that modifications can be made for your rehab process – physiotherapists and fitness coaches are best placed. This is vital so that you don’t undo all the progress you’ve made in recovery and continue to maintain your progress. 

In conclusion – start small, aim for progression, increase over a sensible time period, incorporate various methods and get some help of you need to! You will soon see your fitness return and be physically better than ever, see you in the gym. 

Helen Spade is an English Teacher from Portland, PA, and a writer at Academic Brits and PhD Kingdom. She enjoys reading and writing on different aspects of entrepreneurship, usually marketing, particularly for Dissertation Help.

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