It is official!! The gyms are reopening! As a gym owner, I cannot tell you how happy I am to be going back to work. There is a little cloud of anxiety hanging over my head though and many of my members feel the same. It has been 6 months since most people trained in a gym setting, some haven’t trained in almost 9. As excited as you may be to get back into your routine, it is completely normal to feel nervous or a little anxious about the change.
Here are some tips to help make the transition back into exercise a little easier for you.
If you have been training during lockdown:
- Don’t over estimate yourself!
It is fantastic that you kept up your training at home. Give yourself a pat on the back – it was an extremely difficult time for most people and it can be difficult to get yourself up and training on the tougher days. Be mindful though, as training at home is very different to the training you will be doing in the gym. Your body will not be used to it at all. Don’t over estimate how much your body can handle because you’ve been consistent with your training. There will be an adjustment period – allow your body to go through it slowly to avoid burnout or injury.
- Cardio and Strength training are completely different!
Many people have taken up walking/ running/ cycling during the lockdown. Keep in mind this is a very different type of fitness. If you’re starting back into a programme involving weights, build it up slowly. Your body will be conditioned to cardio styles of training but not to weight training, give your body a chance to adjust.
- Stick to your lockdown training schedule!
Try not to change everything to quickly. If you trained twice a week during lockdown, in the mornings, stick to that routine for a week or two once things are open. Your body has adapted to this. Trying to train 4 times a week in the evenings now because gyms are open again will lead to a burn out. Keep your routine and slowly make changes week by week.
- Reintroduce weights slowly!
Give your body a chance to build your strength back up again. If you have been using weights at home – start out with those weights in the gym and build up week by week. Try not to let the excitement of having a variety of weights and machines get to you. You will build your strength up again but that takes time.
- Enjoy your time!
Things are finally getting back to normal (the new normal) so try and enjoy it. Things are looking much more positive now and the likelihood of gyms closing again is slim to none. So take your time getting back into things and enjoy the process.
If you have not been training during lockdown:
- Take your time!
This will be a shock to the system ! in a great way – but still a shock. Do not try and jump into 3/4/5 sessions a week after doing very little for 6-9 months. This will only cause you to burn out or get injured. If you can, try and find a personal trainer or coach who will help guide you back into training. Take things slow at the start. Once or twice a week for 30/40 minutes in the beginning is more than enough training and this will allow your body to adjust. Once you are comfortable, then start to increase the amount of training you do in the day (up to an hour) or increase the amount of days you train. But allow your body to get used to the training and then increase.
- Swallow your ego!
This will be the toughest thing to do. Accept when your are. Accept you are starting from the beginning. Don’t give out to yourself for not training during the lockdown. If you managed to get this far with your head still on then you have done a fantastic job. You are making a decision now to change your lifestyle which is the hardest step. Think about the reasons why you want to start training again and focus on your new goal. Don’t worry about how fit you used to be or could have been. This is where you are right now and this is your new starting point.
- Have a positive attitude!
Those negative thoughts are bound to drop in from time to time – “Why am I bothering?” “It’s been so long now what’s the point in starting again?” “This is taking so long, I’ve lost so much strength!” “I will never get back to where I was before lockdown!” Make sure you kick those thoughts out of your head before they take over. Mindset is everything. Making the decision to get back into training was a huge step in improving your mental and physical health so stick with it. No matter how long it takes, doing something is always better than doing nothing, so keep as positive as you can and keep tipping away.
- Pain is part of the process!
If it has been a few months since you trained, you will be sore. Getting up and down the stairs, twisting to get out of bed, trying to sit on the toilet, ha ha, yep, we have all been there. Unfortunately, there is nothing at all you can do to stop this. Just remember it is part of the process. Your body is trying to adjust to training again. Drink plenty of water and try and keep moving. Remember this pain will go away after the 1st few sessions. It will not always be this hard. Don’t let this stop you getting back into the gym. You will be sore for a few days and then it will be gone – and you will be laughing about it before you know it.
- Enjoy your time!
Things are finally getting back to normal (the new normal) so try and enjoy it. Things are looking much more positive now and the likelihood of gyms closing again is slim to none. So take your time getting back into things and enjoy the process.
– Alison
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