Take It Slow: How to Get Back into Working out after a Long Break

For healthy adults, working out at least 20 minutes a day is highly recommended. For those of us with busy schedules, exercise can become less of a priority or even nonexistent overtime. Getting back into a workout regimen, if done properly, is possible. Taking proper precautions will get you back into your workout routine.

Seek Professional Advice Prior to Starting Your Regimen

Before starting your workout regimen, seek a healthcare professional and get a proper evaluation. Understanding your initial health condition will help determine the routine you should follow and if there are any issues, the physician can remedy them before beginning.

Pace Yourself

Jumping back into your original workout regimen can be injurious. Muscle deterioration comes with taking breaks from exercising, so starting with low-intensity workouts and gradually increasing the intensity will give the best results. Also, be comfortable with the intensity you can handle initially. If you can only tolerate one or two days per week, that is okay. Feeling obligated to doing more than your body can handle is counterproductive to achieving your workout goals.

Use Proper Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs When Exercising

Before working out, warm ups are necessary to get your body ready for the regimen’s intensity. Stretching is a great way to warm up. It is also important to stretch when cooling down after a workout, which brings your heart rate back down to its original rest rate. Your body also experiences delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) if you haven’t worked out consistently. Incorporating stretching into warm-up and cool-down routines will eliminate some of this soreness.

Be Sure to Rest

Resting is just as important to muscle restoration as your workout regimen. When your body is tired or sore, take heed and refrain from putting further stress on your muscles. Be sure to get adequate sleep also; exercising burns lots of calories, causing fatigue. Going to sleep earlier or taking a nap after a workout will help rebuild muscles and relieve soreness. Also, try working in massages whenever possible. If you suffer any severe soreness or joint pain, seek necessary healthcare, including knee pain treatmentor physical therapy.Getting back into working out is great, when done safely. The goal of getting in shape should be to maintain your health, so practicing healthy habits like resting, proper pace, and getting professional health evaluations are key to coming back to your exercising routine. Use self-awareness and ease into regimens to reach you