How to Ease Back Into Exercise

HOW TO EASE BACK INTO EXERCISE

after illness, injury, or just a break!

As I shared last week, I was recently down and out with Covid and I'm slowly working my way back to full strength. If you follow me on Instagram (@jchcoaching), you might remember that it wasn't the first time I've had to take a break from training.

Whether you're sidelined due to an illness or injury that's outside your control or you just haven't gotten to the gym in longer than you'd like to admit, here are some tips for safely and successfully easing back into a routine. 


1. Don't Rush It

If you're coming back from illness or injury, you might want to get back as soon as possible, but taking it slow is a better plan. 

Returning to exercise before your body has recovered can cause an illness to relapse or stick around longer and can cause injury setbacks. 

The gym, trail, studio, squat rack, or bike will all be there waiting for you when your body is ready to return. 

2. Be Smart

Following a significant illness, health event, or injury, make sure your physician or physical therapist knows about your exercise routine and has cleared you to return to it. 

They might recommend adjustments or modifications based on your health history, or they might tell you to hold off.

If you're ready to get back to it and your medical team hits the brakes, it's ok to ask if there IS something you can do instead to get moving, but remember, it's better to go slow than to get sidelined again because you didn't follow doctors' orders. 

And if you just haven't been active in awhile, it might be a smart plan to get a routine check-up before hitting the gym hard, just to make sure no underlying issues have cropped up since the last time you exercised.


3. Make Adjustments and Modifications

Even if your doctor says you're good to go, and even if there was no health reason keeping you out of the gym, it's a good idea to take it slow when you first come back. 

Depending on how long you've been away, you'll likely need to start with lighter weights, lower intensity options in class, and shorter distances if you're running or biking. 

For my first week post-Covid, I did just one day of lifting, using bodyweight and light kettlebells. I taught both my regular BODYBALANCE classes, but I had to get a sub for cycle because teaching back to back classes would've been too much. 

Don't let your ego get in the way of a good training session. Just because you could do certain things before, or probably could push through now, doesn't mean you should. 
 

4. Listen to Your Body

Those of us who have active lifestyles sometimes push our limits and get uncomfortable in our training.

When we're healthy and we're trying to improve our strength or conditioning, that's a good thing. It's not such a good thing when you're just coming back to the gym. 

Following a long hiatus, especially if there was an injury or illness, it's more important than ever to listen to your body. 

Pay attention to your heart rate and your breathing. Your muscles will probably get fatigued quicker than you expect; don't challenge them to get one more rep or one more set right now! 

As always, if you experience any shortness of breath, lightheadedness, chest pain, or sudden joint pain, STOP.

5. Get Help

If you've been out of the gym for awhile, just getting started can be the hardest part. 

Hiring a trainer is a great way to give yourself accountability to actually show up instead of putting it off (again), as well as to get expert advice on how to start and how to safely revive your gym routine. 

If a trainer isn't in the budget, committing to small group training or group fitness classes with a gym buddy can also provide accountability and a friendly face to make your return less intimidating. 

You don't have to do it alone!



6. Be Kind to Yourself

Everyone -- even the fittest, most committed gym-goers, the most dedicated marathoners, your favorite fitness instructors -- will at some point face an obstacle that keeps them out of their regular gym routine. 

When it happens to you, don't beat yourself up about it! 

If you're sick, the best thing you can do is rest so your body can do its job and focus all its energy on getting better. 

If you're injured, the best thing you can do is rest, do physical therapy if indicated, and allow your body to fully heal. 

If you just haven't been to the gym in awhile because life got in the way, that's ok. The best thing you can do is to start moving again TODAY, whether that's in the gym or just a walk around the neighborhood. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Life will always get in the way if you let it, so just start again now. 
 

7. Be Patient

Strength "gains" don't immediately evaporate when you're out sick for two weeks or you go away on vacation for a week or two. If your time away was brief, you'll be able to pick up where you left off pretty quickly, but it's still smart to give yourself a few sessions to ramp up to your regular workload. 

We tend to lose our cardiovascular conditioning a little more quickly, so shorter cardio sessions or taking more options in cardio-based classes might be necessary to rebuild stamina and endurance, depending on how long you were away and how much general, non-exercise activity you were doing. 

Keep in mind: The longer you've been out, the longer it will take to get back to your previous fitness level. 

For those times when illness, injury, or life has kept you out of exercise for several months or more, start very slowly.

It might feel like starting over, but remember that starting "over" means you've done it before, so you're already ahead of the game!

Even if you're physically back to the beginning, your mind and your body still remember how to move so you're not truly starting from scratch. 


If you've ever been sidelined from the gym for awhile, I'd love to hear how you got back into it! And if you need help getting started right now, let me know. I'm here for you! Send me a message at coachjustineh@gmail.com