Have you recently taken a long break from your exercise routine? Well, me too! Here are my plans for exercising again after a long break…
If you follow me on Instagram you will know that in September 2021, after 4 years of battling a hormonal imbalance, I decided to take a big break from exercise in the hopes that it would help me reset my hormones and ultimately encourages my body to relax, recover and finally get back on track. 7 months later, and with no workout in sight, I’m finally starting to think about getting back into exercising in a way that will work not only for my body, but also for my abilities.
How to exercise again after a long break
If you’re like me, the idea of returning to exercise after a long break (especially more than six months) can seem a little bleak, boring and, let’s face it, a lot of energy. Not only because you need to get used to those mornings again (or spend less time watching Netflix in the evenings), but also because you might feel like a complete beginner again with less strength, flexibility , cardiovascular fitness and motivation. If anything, maybe the motivation to get up and move your body makes you feel more dread than actually returning to exercise? This certainly suits me.
So what do we do? How do we exercise again, after a long break of doing nothing, in a way that keeps us motivated, on track, and feels like a beginner biting off more than we can chew? Well, you’re back to box 1. Yes, really.
As much as I hate going back to the very beginning of my fitness journey almost 6 years ago, it’s honestly the most sensible and realistic thing to do. And in a few months, I will thank myself rather than hate myself (and you too).
Most people, after taking a break from physical activity, will return after a few months with the same expectations as before. They will believe that they can still achieve the same level of yoga, weight, or running distance that they could easily manage at the time they decided to take a break.
And even though we decided to take this break, it’s almost as if our identity as an athletic person, or at least a very active person, didn’t take this break at all. This is why so many of us have had trouble diving. returning to fitness with lower expectations – we’re always trying to maintain that identity, which in the long run can be detrimental to how you return to exercise.
So the easiest way to avoid the above is to be realistic with yourself, start small, and treat exercise like a long-lost friend.
How I plan to exercise again after a long break
Trying to reset and rebalance my hormones due to years of overtraining and undereating has been tricky to say the least. But since I stopped exercising and ate more food while working on a plan with my sports nutritionist, Vicky Edwards, I’ve had a good 3 months with my menstrual cycle (it’s i.e. no irregular periods) and I finally had the green light to start doing light sports again in April!
So here’s how I plan to get back into exercise after a long break…
Set realistic goals
As I mentioned above, setting realistic goals is one of the most important things you can do to stay motivated and on track. Given that I had a relaxing 7 months off, coming back with the goal of completing 5 workouts in a week probably won’t be the most realistic goal I’ve ever set for myself. So it is with this in mind that I plan to set realistic goals such as the following…
Train a maximum of 3 days a week
I’m pretty aware that no matter what I plan to do, my body is going to go into shock once it starts moving properly again. This is why I plan to train a maximum of 3 days a week for 20/30 minutes per day (note that I said maximum and not minimum… realistic goals people!) Personally, I know that it It’s totally doable for me. But if you’ve always struggled to complete a 30-minute workout, even when you were training before, then a 30-minute goal to start with probably isn’t your best idea!
Start with low-impact exercises
Now that I’ve successfully gotten my hormones back on track, I have to be very careful about how I reintroduce exercise into my life. To keep my body happy, I plan to start exercising again with low-impact exercises like Pilates. Although this is an exercise I haven’t done in over 3 years, I know it is an exercise that will help support my body and my hormones as I get back into shape. Want to sync your exercise with your menstrual cycle for hormonal health? Read my blog post here to find out everything!
Returning to exercise with low-impact exercises is ideal for everyone, as it will not only get your body (and especially your muscles) back to exercising, but it will also help you stay motivated as you will find training achievable and realistic. something to tackle… hopefully!
Do something you love
One of the most important things you can do when it comes to fitness is to do something you love. Not only will this make it easier to stick with it, but it will also make it more enjoyable to continue in the long run. These days it’s so easy to get caught up in trends on social media and following what others are doing, but if you can find something that brings you joy when it comes to making exercise, then do it!
My advice is to first plan how often you want to exercise per week, then choose your preferred style of exercise! That is, running, yoga, Pilates, weight training, etc. Next, set a time limit for how long you want to exercise each day. Once again, remember to be realistic so that it is achievable in the short and long term!
Commit to a one-month challenge
I love nothing more than a challenge to keep me on track and motivated. The month-long challenges, which you can find online, at your gym, or even on YouTube, are designed to eliminate the feeling of “I don’t know what to do.” Especially, if you’re starting over from the comfort of your living room like me! I’m going to start the month of April with a free 30 day challenge that I found on YouTube so that every day I know what I’m doing, when I’m doing it, and how I’m doing it. Very easy!
Do it yourself
Ultimately, your goal of returning to exercise after a long break will only succeed if you’re doing it for all the right reasons. Training because You want. Train because it makes You feel good. Train because it improves yours mental health. Training because You want to work on yourself. Training for You.
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