If you haven’t been working out for awhile, it can be hard to get back into the gym. You may have injured yourself or just been too busy with work or other responsibilities. Whatever the reason for your break from the gym, there are ways to ease yourself back into a regular routine without injury.
Don’t expect too much too soon
You’re going to be sore. A lot. And it’s not because you’ve been out of the gym for a long time and are now suddenly jumping right back into it, it’s because you’ve been doing hard things for several weeks without rest.
Don’t push yourself too hard—you’ll only end up hurting yourself if you do that and will also prevent you from getting back into shape as quickly as possible. Take your time building up your fitness level before embarking on any new programs or exercises; this way, when the time comes to start working out again, everything will feel much easier than if you’d started from scratch with zero experience under your belt (which would have been quite disastrous).
Ease yourself into your regular routine
If you’ve been away from the gym for a while, or if it has been a while since your last workout, it’s important to ease yourself into your regular routine. Start with a short workout (such as 10 minutes) and work up to doing longer workouts over time. You’ll want to start by doing just one or two exercises at first, then slowly adding more each week.
If you are feeling sore after working out, take off that day!
Follow a training plan
A training plan is a great way to ensure you’re hitting your goals and staying on track. If you don’t have one, here are some tips:
- Make sure the program is designed for beginners, as well as advanced lifters. You want a plan that will challenge you while still allowing for progress over time.
- Choose one of the many online programs out there and stick with it! There are lots of options in terms of what type of workout schedule (i.e., 4 days per week vs 5 days per week), how long each session should last (20 minutes or less), and even whether or not each day will include bodyweight exercises like push-ups or pull-ups (or both). You could choose to us the 5/3/1 Program by Jim Wendler.
Work on technique and form first
If you’ve been away from the gym for a while, it can be tempting to jump right back into things without doing any form of work. But if you want to get back into shape and start seeing results again, it’s important that you focus first on your technique before worrying about trying out new weights or reps. This will help ensure that all of your muscle fibers are firing correctly so that when they do fire, they’re stronger than before.
To get started with this type of training program, here are some tips:
- Make sure that when you’re lifting weights (whether through free weight training or weight machines), your form is correct so as not to injure yourself or tear muscles unnecessarily;
- Try working with a trainer at first until he/she gets familiar with where each part of their body should be during each movement;
- Many people find success by starting out with lighter weights and higher repetitions than what they were used to doing previously—so don’t worry if this seems like too much pressure!
Listen to your body
If you’re feeling pain, stop immediately. If your body is telling you that it doesn’t want to do anything anymore, listen to it! Go home and get some rest.
If this happens:
- Don’t push yourself harder than usual—you might end up hurting yourself or getting sicker as a result of pushing too hard.
- Rest instead of doing more physical activity until the pain goes away (or at least until it becomes bearable).
- If the pain is still there after resting for a while and/or exercising less than usual, see your doctor right away—it’s possible something serious could be wrong with how much rest/exercise time is required before movement feels better again
Gym workouts should be done with caution so that you don’t injure yourself.
Before exercising, it is important to warm up. This can be done in several ways:
- Walking or jogging for five minutes
- Stretching (no more than 10 minutes)
After warming up, you should stretch before and after exercising. This helps increase your range of motion and keep your muscles flexible so that they don’t get injured during the workout. If you have any injuries that prevent proper stretching, then avoid them when doing the actual activity itself!
Home Gyms
Home gyms are a great way to save money on gym memberships and eliminate time-wasting commutes, but heavy workout equipment can cause undue wear and tear on your floors fast. Home gym flooring is essential if you plan on using any kind of heavy-weight training equipment or cardio machines, especially if you’re renting, and can be held accountable for damaged hardwood or vinyl floors. In addition to protecting your floors, home gym flooring—which typically comes in either tile or as a single mat—allows you to comfortably perform floor-based flexibility and yoga routines, too.
Whether you’re covering a whole room or just a corner, home gym flooring comes in a wide range of sizes, colors, and styles, so it’s easy to find the perfect one to suit your needs by visiting gym-flooring.com today.
Conclusion
Remember, this is your body and you know best how it feels. If something doesn’t feel right, stop what you’re doing and try again later. If you have any questions about your exercise routine or training plan, ask a professional before starting anything new. And remember: if at any point during this process of getting back into the gym you feel like giving up entirely because it’s just too much pressure on yourself (and we can all empathize here), remember that there are always other ways to stay active without going through all these pains and trials!
