The Art of Rediscovering Your Fitness

Enjoy a brisk, moderately paced walk, or run, in beautiful Lakes Park in Fort Myers, Florida.  Photo courtesy of Charly Caldwell II

The last 18 months have been very different for everyone, with so many struggles and upheaval.

I spoke with a client last week who was just now permitted to leave her home for exercising.

With lots of other things to focus on and the closure of gyms for months on end, fitness and training may not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

Now that things ‘seem to be’ slowly going back to normal, personal goals and fitness can start to become a focus again.

It’s important however not to go from 0-100. These 5 tips will help you get back to your best while ensuring that you don’t burn out.

Have a Structured Plan

Set your goals and make them realistic, keeping in mind that your body might have changed in the past months. It is always important to have a major goal that you are always focused on but you can also tick off smaller goals along the way.

For example: Exercising 3-4 times per week.

Fitting into that outfit that 3 months ago you thought you would never get in to again.
Starting to hit the numbers that you were lifting pre-pandemic.
 
Take it Slow

For most, unless you were lucky/smart enough to set up a home gym, you may have been relegated to walking or using the limited equipment you have around the house.

Therefore, it is important to treat the first few sessions back exercising like you are starting from square one.

Your body may initially resist as it has been used to couch surfing, so taking it slow will benefit you greatly in the long run.
 
Recovery is Key: DOMS will be your new friend

Just remember that it might not matter how hard you pushed in the first or second session back, DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) will become your new friend for the next week.

Recovery is going to be crucial to progression in your workouts and dragging your body into the next session.

You might hate yourself at the time but pushing through this part is just another step you’ll take. Maybe your next purchase is a foam roller or sky ball.

Fuel Your Body to serve YOU

If you didn’t indulge in food during lock-down, then your willpower must be very strong.

Remember though, once you step back into your routine, you’ll need to fuel your body properly to ensure that you are recovering well but also that your muscles are receiving proper nutrients.

There is no point to crushing through a great workout and then moving straight on to a Big Mac.
 
Don’t Take Time and Resources for Granted

No one knew the devastation that this virus would cause or the length of time that we would be in lockdown for.

An important lesson to take out of this though is to not take things or time for granted.

Next time you think that skipping a workout is going to be ok, think back to those months that you didn’t have the opportunity to train and you might make a different choice.

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Let's go on this journey together and change your life as always, “Practice with Purpose and Live with Passion!”

Angie