Whether it is the vacations or the heat, but many people forego going to the gym during the peak of summer. Most people build up their ‘summer body’ or ‘beach body’ in spring and early summer, and then simply stop going to the gym and enjoying the benefits of their hard work.
However, if you do not exercise regularly, after a while, you will notice that the effects are wearing out. Whether it is weight gain or muscles losing their tone, you will have to go back to the gym if you want to keep your top form.
Still, many people find it hard to find the proper motivation or the willpower to start going to the gym again. We asked experts at Fit Athletic to share some tips on how to go back to the gym with ease and zeal.
Ease Yourself into It
Don’t try to get back to your full form and full exercise right away. It will almost certainly overwhelm you and you may create a mental blockade that will prevent you from returning to a healthy lifestyle.
Not only your mind but also your body will also need some easing into the workout routine you used to do at the peak of your fitness. Start with small things, like 10-15 minutes of light exercises and build up in small increments towards your desired goals.
Low-intensity exercises are a great way to condition yourself for a workout. You will get less return on your investment, but they will re-train you to enjoy working out.
Don’t Forget the Basic Rules of Exercising
There are probably as many ‘basic rules of fitness’ as there are personal trainers. However, they all agree that before you start working out, you really need to stretch first. It is particularly important if you haven’t worked out in a while. Make sure that your muscles are ready and agile enough for the strain.
Additionally, warmup exercises like cardio are also one of the postulates that most fitness professionals recommend before exercising. Finally, in order to unwind and finish your training, do some cool-down exercises.
Adjust Your Lifestyle
If you’ve been on hiatus from exercising due to your summer vacation, chances are that you also didn’t live your regular lifestyle. Most people on holiday drink more, eat more, sleepless, and generally, change a lot of their lifestyle.
However, once you are back in the real world, you will need to adjust your lifestyle to reflect that. You will probably have to go to work and if you include working out into the mix, you will be expending a lot of energy.
That means that you will need to start eating regularly and, probably even more importantly, rest more. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of a healthy life, especially if you are working hard. And make no mistake, exercising is hard work.
Listen to the Signs Your Body Is Sending You
Finally, and most importantly, you need to be aware of how your body is responding to the workout. The term ‘power through the pain’ is often thrown out by enthusiastic fitness bugs. However, that might not be the best piece of advice out there.
Your body uses pain and other sensation to regulate what you do. Sure, there is a good kind of pain that is telling you that the workout is effective, but you need to be able to distinguish it from the bad kind of pain which is telling you to stop what you are doing immediately.
Getting back to the gym is an investment in your health, self-esteem, and good looks. If done right, you will be back in your full workout form in no-time.
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