How to get back on track

Good morning friends! It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written! I actually dreamt of what I want to talk about today, so I feel like someone specifically needs to hear this. If it doesn’t apply to you today, it probably will at some point, so take a moment to read.

Today I want to talk about how to get back in to working out after you’ve taken a break from it.

First of all, I want to say that in my experience, people are doing as much as they can possibly handle. If you’ve let the workouts go, it’s most likely because something else is taking up too much space in your brain. Or maybe you have an injury or health problems. Whatever it is, be kind to yourself.

When I say people are doing as much as they can handle, I mean it. Most people are at their mental limit of functioning. Things that can take up space are things like: depression, an abusive partner, anxiety, work stress, home stress, saying yes to too many things, a sick parent, your own health issues, caretaking, starting something new, having a baby….there are all sorts of things! My point is, if you’ve let your workouts go, it’s probably for a good reason. And now you’re ready to make space again! (Or save this for when you are!)

How do I get started after a break? So here’s the thing that no one likes. The body detrains rapidly. Within weeks, you’ve lost significant strength. Within months, you’ve lost about everything. I don’t tell you this to make you feel hopeless. I tell you this so you know how to start again. You have to start from square one. It doesn’t matter how much you USED to lift/run/jump/burpee, it only matters where you are now. It’s important to meet yourself where you are. There is no “I SHOULD be running/lifting X”. There is only what is. You do not pick up where you left off.

So, I’ve told you what you can’t do, let me tell you what you can do! Start with a walk. I cannot stress to you how great a walk is for your body. It will lower your stress, give you energy, raise your heart rate and put good stress on those bones! If you’re trying to add in some strength training, start slow. You only need 1-2 days a week when you are starting over. It needs to start gently and light. Its no fun to be debilitated with soreness..and it’s counterproductive.  You’re going to be sore, but you can make it manageable. I’ll give you and example of a good intro workout.

Day 1

Warm up: 5-10 min walking and dynamic stretching

Pushups-8 (on knees or on a wall to make easier)

Squats-8

Crunches-8

1-3 rounds

Band rows-8

Bridges-8

Side raises-8

1-3 rounds

Curls-8

Triceps kickbacks-8

Plank hold-20-30sec

1-3 rounds

Day 2

Warm up: 5-10 min walking, dynamic stretching

Overhead press-8

Split lunge-8ea

Russian twist-8ea

1-3 rounds

Lat pullover-8

Band walks-8ea

Deadlifts-8

1-3 rounds

Bird dog-8ea

Chest fly-8

Side plank-20sec ea

1-3 rounds

These are some basic movements that will hit all the major muscle groups. You don’t want to feel dizzy or nauseous when you workout. Drink lots of water. Be kind to yourself. Also, be realistic about the time you actually have! If you have 10 minutes, do 1 round of each of these. If you have 30min, do more! Any amount of time you have is better than none. I love 5 min mini workouts throughout the day. You could do 1 circuit in the morning, 1 at lunch and 1 in the evening. There is no wrong way to get it in!

Don’t make working out overwhelming. Take bite size pieces. Working out should enhance your life, not stress you out. Let me know if you have any questions. I do write in-home programs. Also, I still train via zoom and at the gym! So if you feel like you need some help, ask a friend to be an accountability partner or call a pro (yours truly).  Get out there and take back your body!

Have a great week! BFit and BWell!