Yes, it’s exciting hearing the news that we will be able to get back to some normality with our exercise routines. We wanted to reflect on what we’ve seen after previous lockdowns to allow for a smoother transition back into training.
- Don’t try break a PB. We know it’s exciting to be back, however it’s not the time to take the body to the limit.
- You probably haven’t been able to 100% replicate the type of training at home which you would normally do in the gym. Let your body get used to these activities again.
- If you have soreness, try giving yourself a rest or recovery day.
- Start with a lighter weight or reduce the repetitions or mix up the exercise or talk to a exercise professional on getting back into exercise.
- Drop the ego and slowly build up the weight, speed, reps over 4-6 weeks.
- If you have an injury or pain, getting a management plan before returning to the gym may be helpful
How do I plan out my exercise plan?
How do I know if I’m doing too much or too little?
When getting back into exercise it’s a good idea to take it slow to begin with, checking in with your body during and after the activity to ensure your responding as desired.
The aim will be to get you through your sessions without feeling too sore and tired, this allows you to train more consistently which is key. We aim to avoid creating a boom-bust scenario, which essentially means that if we train too hard in one session we then need more time to recover before training again. Over-time this means we start doing less training and start to de-condition.
Our aim is a pacing-pattern, where we expose the body to a small amount of exercise induced stress. This then means the recovery time is shorter, allowing us to train the body again sooner aiming to increase the positive benefits of building fitness, strength, coordination and flexibility. If you find this hard to gauge, getting a plan from a health or exercise professional could help you stay on target. Remember it’s not a race!
What can I do to prepare?
One of the best things you can do is start doing little bits of movement regularly. If movement hasn’t been as consistent as you’d like during the COVID lockdown and you want to get back into the gym / your favourite activity when things open up, now is the time to start planning out your return to activity.
If you have an injury or pain you are worried about, getting a plan together before getting back to the gym / exercise routine may be helpful.
