Start Exercising After Long Break
How do I start exercising again after a long break?
Make a commitment to get yourself to go exercise at least twice a week. Tell your friends that you are going to start exercising again on these specific days at these specific times and ask them to hold you accountable. Have them text or call you after your specified time. Fessing up that you didn’t go will be harder than going.
Pick up a notebook and determine a time that you can dedicate to exercising. Look for times in your day that you have idle time on your hands. If you have an hour long lunch break but bring your lunch to work and spend 30-45 minutes playing on your phone then you have 30-45 minutes to go jog around the block, use the company gym, or join the gym down the street. If you binge watch television when you get home from work for 3 hours, set aside 30 minutes to an hour of that time to exercise. You’ll still have 2 hours to watch TV, and you’ll feel better about yourself during your down time as you earned it.
How do I choose an exercise program after a long break?
Look at the types of activities you like to do or wish you could do and start browsing around online for schools or classes near you. Choose a gym, studio, or field near that fits one of these three criteria: it’s near your home, its near your work, or its in between the two during your commute.
If you choose something that’s in between your house and work make sure their times work with your commuting schedule. An exercise class that happens at 8pm when your commute is 9am-6pm won’t help much. You’re not looking to make a special trip, at least not while you’re trying to rebuild this healthy habit.
Talk with your healthy friends to see what they’re doing. Having the social group will serve as additional motivation for you to get back into this habit. You trust their opinion, and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
How do I avoid burnout when starting an exercise program after a break?
You’re going to be sore for a few weeks when you pick back up the exercise habit. Your muscles need to get back into the groove. They’re rebuilding themselves. If you’re starting back up a routine that involves weights hiring a personal trainer can help with ensuring you’re using proper form throughout the movements to avoid unnecessary injury. If you’re working on cardio or just trying to get moving again a personal trainer can help with putting together routines to ensure you get the most out of your time spent exercising.
If you want to go at it alone make sure you spend some time working on your core (abs.) Your core is the root of your strength and will power all your movements regardless of the types of activities you do.
What exercises can I do at home after a long break?
Work on your core at home. I spent a week in Costa Rica training with Sean Fagan, the Muay Thai Guy, where we spent time after each training session working on our core. He put up this video on Youtube that you can do at home.
I also have the following products in my house that I use throughout the day to improve my core and overall fitness. I have a WODFitters Balance Board to work on my core and balance strength (as well as my pushups) and a ProSource Heavy Duty Pullup Bar hanging up in my spare bedroom near my bathroom. The rules for the pullup bar are simple – walk by the pullup bar and do a few pullups. I started with 2 pullups each time I walked by it. My personal trainer adjusted the plan to 1-3 pulls each time I walk by to shake up the routine to keep my mind and body guessing.
Don’t forget you can also just go out and run to get yourself going again.
