Ease back into exercise: 4 essential tips from doctors
Getting to the gym can be difficult during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Now that the new year has arrived, many people want to get physically active again. Here’s what to keep in mind when easing back into exercise after a long break and how to avoid injuries.
It may be tempting to jump right back into doing exercise at your pre-pandemic pace, but doing that can lead to injury — which can also lead to getting demotivated. It's helpful to begin by taking things slow, like going for 30-minute walks to get your body used to physical activity again.
It's important to take it easy and not overdo it when you return to the gym. Doing too much too soon can overwhelm you and cause burn out. Assess your current fitness level; if you push yourself, you might injure yourself.
Stretching is more important now than ever before. After months of a sedentary lifestyle, stretching is a fantastic, non-threatening, and low-impact reintroduction to an active lifestyle. Not only does it increase flexibility, but it also improves posture, reduces back pain, and prepares your muscles for a workout. Committing to a simple stretching routine—whether you're beginning or ending your workout—can make a world of difference and even help you avoid injury.
Before heading to the gym, it's helpful to get a physical evaluation first from your primary care physician or physical therapist. Consider it a reassessment of your current strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health levels. From there, you can put together an exercise plan that suits your current fitness level and lifestyle. Taking small steps and including various workouts that incorporate low-impact cardio and resistance training is an excellent place to start. Here are some activities you should consider.
1. Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) Training
LISS training is a method of cardio that involves aerobic activity of low-to-moderate intensity over a continuous period. Examples of LISS exercises include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling. It is a good alternative for those looking to go back into or working toward high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
2. Pilates
Pilates is a low-impact exercise that focuses mainly on foundational core strength, joint mobility, and overall flexibility. Having a strong core is a great launching point for easing back into more intense exercise, as this ensures your body has a stable foundation.
3. Yoga
Yoga is a practice that focuses on combining physical postures with breathing techniques, meditation, and relaxation. Yoga's benefits include improved flexibility, balance, and muscle strength. Its focus on breathing and relaxation also helps you be more mindful of your body.
Preparation and finding an enjoyable sport are important for staying motivated. Find exercises you enjoy. If you're struggling with motivation, try joining a class or working out with a friend. Prepare your workout gear the night before. If you wake up and see your trainers, hoodie, snack, and water bottle all ready to go, you'll feel like you're too invested to change your mind.
After taking an extended break from exercise, you may notice that you cannot do things you once could. This can be incredibly frustrating for athletes or highly active people and lead to unrealistic goals or complex routines that can only be a setup for injuries.
Try not to be too hard on yourself. It can be easy to compare yourself to when you were training more regularly. It's common to see a decline in strength or endurance if you haven't been to the gym for an extended period.
The key to easing back into exercise is to set reasonable and measurable goals — for example, it may not be practical to run a 10k yet, but you could try jogging for two to five miles without stopping. Breaking down your bigger fitness goals into smaller increments can help give you a sense of achievement and keep you motivated as well. Every little exercise counts:
Ten minutes is good enough. It might feel daunting starting the gym again, but stay positive and manage your expectations. You might not feel your usual self, but don't let this stop you from working out. By doing a little exercise, even if it's a 10-minute walk, you're improving yourself.
It may also be tempting to make too many lifestyle changes at once, which can be overwhelming. Focus on one goal at a time until you successfully turn it into a habit before pursuing other fitness goals.
During a workout, it can be tempting to push the limits of your physical strength. Should you run another mile? Should you do an extra set? Should you put additional weights on? Going too far can be a recipe for getting hurt, so it's best to stick to your routine and only change it up when it feels like it's too easy. Watch out for the pitfalls that come with attempting to work out too hard after a long break:
One of the easiest ways to injure oneself is to rush the process of returning to exercise, going too hard, too fast ... In fact, it takes only two to three weeks for you to lose that muscle strength you worked so hard to build and just two weeks to lose some cardio fitness ... But listen to your body as you go: You'll want to push it so that you're gradually challenged but not stressed. That can be a fine line, so pay attention to warning signals such as pain, tightness, or discomfort."
There's no shame in throwing in the towel either. It would be best if you stopped your workout when you experience the following:
Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician for a physical before you begin a new exercise regimen. In the event of a sports injury, visit a sports medicine physician.
Sources:
The Washington Post | Why Stretching Is Important During the Pandemic
NHS U.K. | A Guide to Pilates
The New York Times | Yoga for Everyone: A Beginner's Guide
Fox News | 8 Pains You Mustn't Ignore When Working Out
TIME | How To Get Back Into Working Out After a Long Time
Healthline | How to Ease Back into Exercise Safely After a Long Break