Has it been a while since you’ve focused on your fitness regimen and you’re unsure how to start working out again after taking a break? Below are the top tips from our coaches that you may find helpful!
1. Start slow and set manageable and accomplishable goals.
One of the best things we can do for ourselves in any endeavor, fitness and otherwise, is to set ourselves up for success. One of the best ways to accomplish this is find easy ways to motivate ourselves. When restarting a fitness routine, start off slowly and find something you know you can easily accomplish with regularity. For example, if you’ve been sedentary for a while, start off with one or two classes a week. Once you’ve built up some muscular and cardiovascular endurance, consider adding another class or pushing yourself a little harder when you’re here.
2. Build good habits with consistency.
Set up a regular and realistic exercise schedule for yourself that you know you can and will adhere to. You want to put yourself in the mindset of a regular exercise routine in order to turn that routine into a habit that then becomes second nature to you. The more consistent you are with your workouts, the more improvement you will start to see and the more motivated and energized you will feel to continue.
3. Celebrate and be proud of your successes, big and small.
Competing in your first competition is an awesome accomplishment and is worthy of celebration. And you know what? So is making it to the gym one extra day; so is being able to add another five pounds to your squat; so is adding more vegetables to your meals. Remember that we can achieve success everyday in everything we do, and it’s important to make a note of these successes to encourage us to achieve more.
4. Gauge improvement against your own performance.
One of the most detrimental things we can do in any aspect of our lives is compare ourselves to others. The best metric we can use to measure improvement of our performance is our own past performance, not anyone else’s. What works for some doesn’t necessarily work for all. It’s our job to find what works best for us instead of copying exactly what someone else is doing and feeling frustrated when we’re not seeing the same results.
5. Be patient and kind to yourself.
As a continuation of item #4, if you’re not seeing the same rapid improvement that someone else is or that you hoped you would in a particular time frame, it’s okay. Do your best not to worry or stress out about it. Stress stimulates the production of the cortisol hormone, which contributes to belly fat. Keep at your workouts and you’ll start seeing gains soon enough.
6. Work out with a friend or two.
Work out buddies turn what might sometimes feel like a chore into something fun. Working out together is also a way for you to keep each other accountable and motivated so you can all stay on track. This is one of the major reasons we focus on group classes at Evolve! Come join us for an awesome group class at Evolve Training Center!
7. Listen to your body.
The human body is a marvelous and highly intuitive and communicative instrument. It will tell you when you can push it harder or when you’ve overdone it. There’s a difference between feeling pain from muscle soreness after a good workout and pain from injury. Staying attuned to your body will help differentiate between the two. However, when in doubt, always consult your medical professional. And remember that rest days, whether you’re new to working out or not, are always necessary and important for rebuilding and regenerating muscle tissue.
8. Just start.
Being and staying healthy takes commitment. It’s a commitment you make to yourself and one that takes time and effort. The more you invest, the more returns you will see. But at the end of the day, the most important tip for getting back into working out is: just start. So get out there and have some fun!
If you need help setting up a training program, give us a call at 650-615-9322 or send us a message at evolvetrainingcenter@gmail.