Getting back into training & preventing injury
From time to time a lot of us take a break from training for one reason or another. The most common thing to happen after taking a break of any size is that we think we can just pick back up from where we left off. This can have serious repercussions which include serious injury! This is why I thought it would be important for me to share some insights on the best ways to get yourself back to your top performance. As we all emerge from lockdowns and start to resume normal routine I thought this was timely especially for those who didn’t remain as active as they would have liked during this period.
As I mentioned regardless of how much time you took off you still need to follow a safe back to training plan. This will not only help you enjoy what you are doing but also help you get to your health and fitness goals quicker. It’s all about allowing your body to remember what it’s like to train but also you don’t want to put stress on your mental wellbeing by trying to do too much at once. When I work with clients who are ready to get back into it, I move through their “return to training plan” using the below points:
Goal setting - This is probably the most important step and should be done first. Set 2-3 clear goals of what you want to get out of your training, why it’s important, and of course an achievable timeline. Goals can be diet related, exercise specific related, or simply how many times a week you plan to train. It’s also important you choose exercise you enjoy whether that be outdoor group fitness, running, weights & strength training, going to the gym etc.
Intensity of exercise - When you start to exercise again you don’t want to go “too hard” too early! Just because you could squat with a certain amount of what before you stopped training it doesn’t mean you can now. I always recommend working at about 50% less intensity to what you did in the past. From here you can work your way up slowly.
Frequency of exercise - Similar to intensity you don’t want to be doing too much all at once from the beginning. This is why setting your goal of what you think is achievable at the start is so important. I’d suggest aiming for 2-3 sessions for the first 1-2 weeks and building your way up to the desired level from there. Both intensity and frequency are important factors in your return as this will ensure you prevent injury and enjoy what you are doing!
Diet changes - Some people find it all to much to make diet changes as well as getting back into their training at the same time. Yes diet and exercise work hand in hand and you need to have the right ratio of both, however it’s ok when you’re starting back to not have both at 100% of where you think they should be. Work on 1 aspect at a time. You can make small incremental changes in the first couple of weeks while you get your training right first, then from here you can make bigger changes if they are still required.
Reassess & Seek assistance - What’s working or not working? Just because things worked well in the past it doesn’t mean they will now. Our lives and circumstances changes so take these into account as well! If you’re struggling to get there because of motivation or any other reason, there’s always help out there from Certified Personal Trainer’s (like me) and lots of other professionals, so seek our help out!
Alongside all of these tips/steps, you need to make sure what you are doing is because you enjoy it and/or it’s what your own body requires. This will ensure you stick at your training for the long term and not have another zero exercise relapse.
Remember you are always welcome to come and try one of our awesome Bootcamp’s out, either online or in person for free! Click here to book.