Did you skip a few days at the gym? Maybe it was a little longer, like several weeks, months, or years. Just because you had a pause in your workout program, it doesn’t mean you can’t start again. Maybe it’s not your exercise plan that slipped through your fingers, but the two cream cheese Danish those fingers picked up. It’s not the end of the world, even if you ate nothing but junk for two days. Get back on track with your fitness goals. Everyone has a few missteps in life. That doesn’t mean you should quit.
Take charge and be easier on yourself.
One of the most frequent fitness issues occurs when people diet. One way to avoid the problem is to avoid dieting. That doesn’t mean you’ll lose weight without paying close attention to what you eat. You can’t empty the candy shelf at the grocery and expect pounds to fall off magically. Eating healthy isn’t dieting. It’s about eating more whole foods and fewer foods with added sugar. The best part of healthy eating is that you can have some of your favorite sweets, just not as much and not as often.
Getting back into a fitness regimen may take some time.
Don’t expect to start where you left off if you haven’t exercised in months or years. Your body isn’t in the same shape as it was when you quit. Start slowly and work your way back to your original fitness level. It won’t take as long as it did to get there initially. The same muscle memory that allows you to do tasks without thinking also helps your body get in shape quicker. You already know each exercise, but still take it easier initially. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your progress is.
Getting back into shape is quicker but not instantaneous.
Don’t get discouraged after a week or two if you aren’t back to your old self in the gym. It may not take as long as it did when you started working out, but it still takes time. Expect to get sore. Don’t try to jump back into your old workout. Focus on form and cut back on reps, sets, and the amount of weight you lift in strength training. Don’t do intense workouts every day.
- Make sure you get adequate rest. You might not remember how tired you were when you started working out the first time. That exhaustion won’t last forever, so indulge yourself and get extra sleep.
- Focus on all types of exercise, including strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. Before you start exercising, do warm-up exercises. Follow each session with cool-down routines.
- Stay hydrated. You lose fluid through sweat, so carry a bottle of water when you exercise and sip on it throughout the session. Remember, it doesn’t have to be hot to get dehydrated. Even mild dehydration can diminish your efforts.
- Stay positive. Expect that restarting your fitness program will require hard work. You can’t start where you left off. Stay positive, knowing it won’t take long to return and exceed your past fitness level.
For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!