Getting back into the gym
It’s time! From today, the 12th April, we can start to get back into gyms and get that much needed exercise done. So many patients have been looking forward to it and we have been too. Unless you’re lucky enough to have some good exercise equipment at home, it’s likely that you’ve been doing at lot less gym type work so here are some tips on how to get back into the gym:
Don’t overtrain!
It’s so easy to try and make up for lost time and push yourself too hard. This can lead to injury and will then actually slow down your return. Give yourself rest days and start slowly. For example, start with less weight than you would have used previously or less resistance/time on the bike. Your body will thank you for it and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can get back to your old routine. Make sure you’re helping your recovery on your rest days. Stretching, foam rolling and even using ice will ease those aches and pains and have you ready to go again.
Make sure you warm up/cool down
If you’re going to start pushing your body more than you have for a while then you need to prepare yourself to do so. Warming up effectively will help to prevent injury and actually boost your performance in the gym so that you can get more out of it. Static and dynamic stretching are both important to prepare for exercise and you should focus on the area that will be exercising as a minimum. Ideally, prepare the whole body, particularly if you’re doing a cardio workout. If you have any niggling problems or areas that you know are stiff then make sure you do your Physio exercises as part of your warm up. Once finished, cool down is also vital to get your body down to its more relaxed state. Stretch off the areas you have been working to remove lactic acid and slow your heart rate down with some deep breathing exercises.
Set goals
Think about what you are training for. It could be weight loss, return to football or for your mental health. Plan your workouts based on your goal (see below). Once you have your plan, set some goals so that you can monitor your progress and make any adjustments so that you can meet those targets. This is also really important for motivation. Don’t be afraid to change the goals if you need to. If you were over ambitious, don’t worry if you need to lower your target, your goals need to be realistic. Alternatively, if you’re smashing through them you may need to set the bar higher!
Plan your workouts
This is the perfect opportunity to start your gym routine from fresh and make sure you’re following a good plan. Think about your goals and tailor your workouts to meet those goals. For example, weight loss will require some cardio work but there are various ways of doing this. It can be continuous work but interval training is also very useful. There are many good exercise plans that can be found free online that are really easy to follow. There is also a lot of evidence that shows resistance training is also really helpful in weight loss so researching into how you can go about it can make your training more effective but also more enjoyable.
From a resistance training point of view, there are also different approaches you can take. You may be training for strength, endurance or muscle mass and these all require different approaches so again, it’s worth finding out the best way to go about it. If you’re looking for general strength, the best approach is to make sure you’re targeting different muscle groups and you vary the resistance.
For example, some days may be less reps with a higher weight and some days may be more reps with a lower weight.
To get the most out of your workouts, variation is key. It will improve your performance and motivation. So do a bit of research, follow the guidance above and, most of all, enjoy it!
