Are you out of your fitness routine? Getting back into exercise when you’ve taken time off can be intimidating. You may feel a little lost on where to start. It doesn’t matter how much Covid-19 couch time you’ve had during your exercise hiatus, you can get back into your training with a few smart changes and the right mindset. Most of my clients come to me for direction and help on where to begin after being out of their fitness lifestyle routine for a period of time. I initially ask them what their fitness goals are. How are their eating habits? How consistent and dedicated they can be during the week to achieve these goals?
When most people want to get back in shape, their initial step is to totally change their eating habits and start a strenuous training routine. Without any clear fitness goals or having a concrete game plan, in most cases, this will come to an abrupt halt after two or three weeks pass. Around that time you may get tired of eating salads, and you might be so sore you can hardly move. Having the right mindset initially is the first step of your journey to successfully get back in shape. This will help you strengthen your motivation and keep you disciplined during the times when you want to give up and drive down to the nearest ice cream shop. DON’T DO IT.
Having a fitness plan and figuring out the baby steps you’re going to take to achieve that goal will set you up for success and you will most likely follow through for the long run. Look at how, where and with whom you spend time, and start to make changes that allow you the time you need to get back in shape. One of the most important things to do when you start an exercise plan is to start slowly and build up gradually. If you start too intensely, you will get sore or injured, burn yourself out and it will turn you off of exercising altogether.
Changing your eating habits to clean eating habits is more effective than fitness alone. When it comes to starting a healthy eating plan, you should make sure that what you undertake is not too restrictive and these changes will last long-term. Start with small changes like cutting out processed and fried foods. Avoid heavy carbs at dinner and drink plenty of water, at least 3 liters a day. Stay clear of the yo-yo dieting, it’s a waste of time and you will only be compromising your metabolism which will work against all the hard training you’ve been putting in each week. That “quick fix” weight loss will just creep right back on.
Here are some prime examples of starting out slow, gradually getting into your weekly training routine would look like this:
- Monday: 20-30 min jog/walk/stretch
- Tuesday: 10-20 min strength day/stretch
- Wednesday: Rest day
- Thursday: 20-30 min jog/walk/stretch
- Friday: 10-20 min strength day/stretch
- Saturday: Rest day
- Sunday: Rest day
Ashley LaMorte is a nationally certified fitness instructor and has been in the fitness industry for many years. Over the years Ashley has gotten the opportunity to instruct group X boot camps at gyms and train private clients from all walks of life, all over the bay area. She now has her own mobile fitness business LaMorte Lift. You can learn more about Ashley at LaMorteLift.com
