START EXERCISING AGAIN AFTER A LONG BREAK
You took some time off your fitness routine and somehow, that one-week break stretched into a month-long holiday. Before you know it, it’s been months since you last laced up your trainers. Reviving an abandoned habit is not easy but it can be done and especially for women, there’s no better time to get back into gear than now as 8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD). This year’s IWD theme #ChoosetoChallenge invites you to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against bias, and take action for equality. And it all starts with you. Employ these few tricks to hop back on board your fitness journey.
Be Real, Be Kind
Let’s start by being realistic; you can’t expect your body to have retained the same momentum, strength or flexibility it had before and simply jump back into the same training mode and intensity. Be honest about the current state of your health and fitness, and be kind to yourself and your expectations. Need a boost to get back to your fitness routine? Try these tips.Set Small, Short-Term Goals
Having a goal in mind will give you a sense of purpose, a targeted direction, and motivation to stay on course. Don’t be too ambitious here, aim for something that you are certain you can achieve. As you hit the first goal, it will feed your confidence and strengthen your will to keep going. You can then plan for the next and bigger goal, so you keep levelling up as you go along.
Plan It Out
You know that saying: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Plan out a schedule that is practical and fits easily into your current lifestyle and daily routines. Aim to workout a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Slot your exercise sessions into your phone calendar and set alarms to remind you.Go Light And Easy
Never mind that you use to be able to run 5km and not feel like you’re going to pass out. You will get back to that level eventually. You’d do best to start with something easy like a brisk 15-minute walk. For the first one or two weeks, just aim to work up a bit of a sweat and get those muscles moving again. Slowly add on the intensity and duration towards the goal you have set.
Chart Every Win
Every time you reach a goal or notice any improvements, celebrate it! There is no win too small to take note of. Ideally, you’d keep a journal of your journey to track your progress and on days when you feel like giving up, you can look back and see how far you’ve come.References:
https://www.self.com/story/heres-exactly-how-to-ease-back-into-working-out
https://time.com/5679107/get-back-into-working-out/
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a33238256/how-to-start-working-out-again/
https://www.womensrunning.com/training/9-simple-ways-to-start-exercising-again-after-a-break/
