Wondering how to get back to training after a break? It is not as difficult as it may seem! Coming back to the gym after a year or after a long break of several years will not be much different from your beginnings with training. As an added bonus, your body will use your motor, muscle and nervous memory. We have some tips and a training plan for you.
A longer break from training happens to everyone. Illness, injuries, pregnancy or lack of time are the most common reasons for quitting exercise. However, nothing is lost! If you're wondering how to start exercising after a long break, we've prepared the most important tips and tricks for you and a training plan perfect for getting back in shape.
How to get back in shape after a long break? 5 tips
1. Do not overstrain - grading the intensity of training, the right planHow to return to training after a break? First of all, don't overextend yourself! If you care about time and quick results, you surely want to do something completely different and make up for wasted time. Unfortunately, this approach may have the opposite effect. After a break from training, the body is not ready for express and intense effort, it needs time to adapt again. It is important that, as when you started, do it now when returning to the gym after a break. Focus on gradual progress, an appropriate training plan focused on long-term effects, and regular, but common-sense, intensity of exercise.
2. Consultation with a trainer - someone with experience will help create a sensible training planCertainly a good idea to get back in shape after a break is to consult a qualified personal trainer. The specialist will prepare an appropriate training and nutritional plan for us, and thanks to this, our return to the gym (even after a year!) Will result in satisfactory results and sports achievements.
Read more: Personal trainer - how to distinguish a good trainer from an amateur
3. Get motivated - a training partner, trainer or appMotivation is the key to success. If sport is our sincere passion, we don't need any special incentives. However, there will certainly be those who will not go without motivational slogans and cheering cheerstraining.
Nothing is lost. It is enough to take a friend with you who will be our partner to the gym and give him some tips on how to help us motivate us to train. Another way is to launch an application on the phone that will remind you about training and encourage you to do it regularly.
You can also print yourself… a photo of yourself before the break. Nothing motivates you more than your own success. If we managed earlier, now richer in experience and knowledge, we will do even more.
4. Take care of regenerationProper regeneration is the basis of training. Without rest, there are no physical effects, and we do not have the strength to work properly for them. A good regeneration consists mainly of:
- the right dose of sleep
Sleep is the basis for the proper regeneration of the body. How much we should sleep is always an individual matter. The optimal amount of sleep is between 7 and 9 hours. We should take care of sleep especially when we start our adventure with training or train systematically. Then our body will need night regeneration to strengthen the body and the effects of our work in the gym.
- relax
It is especially important after training. It can be reading a book, taking a hot bath, meditating or simply watching your favorite series. It is important not to overload yourself and after finishing training, calm our nervous system so that it switches to the regeneration and rest mode.
- breathing
We all breathe, but are we really doing it well? Correct breathing can work wonders and is the basis of our body's functioning! It is not about normal, daily breathing, but about conscious, deep and controlled breathing. It is important to learn how to breathe properly when exercising, as well as to relax and strengthen your breathing muscles. For this, you can use the appropriate exercises that can be found in most phone applications or instructional videos on the Internet.
- break from training
This is a very important regeneration point. Without a break from exercise, we will not have the strength for further exercises, and our body will not have time to regenerate the tissues damaged by training. This inevitably leads to injuries and overloads. Especially when we are returning to the gym after a long break, we may lack patience and humility. However, you need to keep them, because it is during rest that our muscles grow in strength.
5. A he althy diet will help with training (rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium)He althy eating isbasis in training. Without a diet, the visual effects of our struggles in the gym will be invisible. However, it's not all about looks.
He althy eating allows us to provide our body with the necessary nutrients needed for physical activity. Adequate supply of macro and micro ingredients as well as vitamins and minerals will make us well nourished, our muscles will have the strength to shape, and the body will burn unnecessary kilograms.
What should an athlete's diet be like? Rich in protein, he althy fats, whole grain bread, groats and flour, as well as a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds that will provide us with essential minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, selenium, copper, B vitamins, vitamin C, K, D and others. Of course, we cannot forget about the water! Drink 2 to 3 liters of water a day - often and in small amounts - to properly hydrate your tissues and internal organs.
Find out more: What should a person practicing sports eat?
Getting back in shape: what exercises to start with?
Returning to training after a break is best to start with functional exercises, improving the basic human movement patterns. Regardless of what you've trained before, getting back into shape after a break should be regular and gradual.
The following training will guarantee you return to exercise after the break! Start with one circuit done four times a week. Then add to each exercise gradually increasing the number of repetitions. In exercises with repetitions, add two in each subsequent week, and in timed exercises, increase it by 5-10 seconds. You can also do more circuits later.
Start your progression with two and do a maximum of three circuits in one training session. The most important thing is to listen to your own body and not overload your body - follow the directions from your body, and your recovery from before the break will be faster than you think!
1. Head Down DogLean on the mat in your hands and feet and push hard off the mat with your hips pointing upward. Move the shoulders away from the ears and point the elbows outwards. With each subsequent second of exercise, try to straighten your legs in the knees and lower your feet down even more. However, remember not to overstretch your knees or elbows. The head should be relaxed in this exercise. Try to breathe deeply and at the same time do not let go of your abdominal muscles - they should be gently tense throughout the exercise.
2. Bird-dogAdopt a propped kneeling position as in Exercise 1. Gently tensebelly and stretch your arm out in front of you, but don't take it off the mat yet. Pull down your shoulder blade and lightly tense your buttocks. Attach the opposite lower limb to this and lift both limbs up so that they are in line with the spine. Hold this position for a while and repeat it over to the other side.
3. One-leg squatTake the forward position - put your leg back, keep hips in line, gently tilt the pelvis. Then lower yourself down so that your knee is just off the ground. Return to the starting position. Remember not to let your knees tap inwards during the movement.
Find out more: How to do squats correctly?
4. Sideways plankLie on your side and support it on your elbow. Straighten your legs and pinch your toes. Then lift your hips so that your body is in line - your knees, hips, spine, and head should be in one plane. Remember to push your hips forward gently and not to do the so-called "Duck's rump". Everything in this position should be stable and tight.
5. Women's push-upTake a plank position and lean on your lap. Place your hands a little wider than your shoulder width apart, and point your elbows outward. The head should be an extension of the spine - don't mess with it or slouch. Then, direct your chest towards the mat and do the push-up. Try to slowly descend and quickly push off the mat. Remember to keep your abdomen and shoulder blades tight.
6. StepsStand slightly apart, with your feet parallel, gently tuck your pelvis underneath you and lower your ribs while tensing your abdominal muscles. Visit the limb backwards, so there is a 90 degree angle in the knees. Make sure the knee of the front leg is above the foot and pointing slightly outwards. When you return to your starting position, make sure your pelvis is stable and do not rock your hips sideways. Repeat the exercise for both legs.
7. Hip bridgesLie down on a mat with your knees bent. Roll up your pelvis, lower your ribs, and tighten your abdomen. On the exhale, lift your hips up tight, clenching your buttocks. Remember to only "walk" as much as your hip joint allows. Do not fasten the movement from the lumbar section - it is not about pushing the hips up at all costs, because it may end up with hyperextension in the lumbar region (back pain will tell you this). Go up until the buttock is clearly tense. When the muscle tension releases and your lumbar spine becomes too arching, move your hips back to a safe position. Also remember to keep yours movingknees gently diverged to the sides.
8. Pulling the shoulder blades down while lying on the stomachLie down on your stomach with your forehead resting on the mat. Gently tuck your pelvis up and tighten your buttocks. Then bend your elbows and place your hands shoulder-width apart and lift your torso up. At the same time, remember not to bend your head and try to bring your elbows together as much as possible, pulling your shoulder blades together. Breathe in as you ascend, and breathe out as you descend without losing any tension in your gluteal and abdominal muscles. Also, try not to put your elbows on the mat.
Getting back in shape - training mini-plan
| Exercise | Number of repetitions | Duration |
| Dog Head Down | 10 repetitions | 5 seconds one repeat |
| Bird dog | 10 repetitions per page | |
| One legged squat | 10 repetitions per page | |
| side board | 30 seconds per page | |
| Women's pump | 10 repetitions | |
| Zakroki | 16 repetitions | |
| Hip bridges | 12 repetitions | |
| Blade removal | 12 repetitions |
Małgorzata Kośla She is a qualified fitness instructor and certified personal trainer. Since childhood, her greatest passion was sport - she played football and basketball. Then a new love came - dance, especially dancehall. He likes to sweat at the gym and relaxes in yoga and meditation sessions. He is constantly expanding his knowledge about training and a he althy lifestyle. What besides sports? He runs a store with natural cosmetics and he althy food, writes his own blog (stylzyciadowolny.pl) and deals with copywriting.
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