Life happens: injuries, illness, depression, kids, moving--reasons for taking time off from fitness are legion. In fact, there is always an excuse not to start back. The biggest reason: a body at rest tends to stay at rest--not just a law of physics, but a law of human nature! So how do we get going when we've been "at rest" from physical activity, or from proper training for a long time?
As with almost any fitness-related question, the answer is, "it depends." Why is that always the answer? Because EVERYTHING depends on where you've been, where you are, and what you want. I'd like to spend the next little bit on the following case: you've been out of fitness so long you're embarrassed to walk into a gym. You're tired from being pulled in too many directions and you just haven't been able, for whatever reason, to make fitness a priority. One of your biggest enemies is the "all or nothing" mindset which is so prevalent in the fitness industry, and deeply engrained in many of us.
So how do we overcome this and "get the ball rolling" (physically and psychologically)? First, don't wait until the beginning of a new week, or after the next holiday, or the New Year. When did we start that practice? Why can't you do some stretching or walk around the block today? Second, begin with what you CAN do. If your goal is to get stronger and shed some fat, but you haven't done more than run the vacuum or walk around Costco in 6 months, you don't need to do a boot camp-style workout five days a week the first week. Third, you don't necessarily have to change your diet...yet. Yes, that's correct. Think about it: how hard will your body and mind fight you back if you decide that not only are you going to drastically change your amount of daily activity, but also cut into your energy source? I rarely have my clients making more than one change in their diets PER MONTH. And when I say "one change", I don't mean cutting all sugar or bread.
What does this really look like in practice? Here is a sample of the first six weeks of a return-to-fitness program for someone who, like myself, has been struggling with a stressor like sleep issues or the like, and have been out of a regular program for months:
Week 1: Walk up to one mile per day. Decrease amount of time sitting.
Week2: Walk a half-mile + one set of 20 of easy bodyweight exercises such as bench squat, wall pushups + some light stretching at least three times per week.
Week 3: two sets of 15 of light weight and bodyweight exercises + light stretching
Week 4: track (NOT CUT) calories and macros + three sets of light/body weight exercises + light stretching
Week 5: look at calorie/macro patterns and make ONE adjustment (change from whole milk to 1%, or add lean protein, or eat smaller quantities of chips)
Week 6: continue tracking, set REASONABLE calorie and macro goals, begin full body split training 4-5 days per week and continue to decrease sedentary time.
And just like that, I'm back in the habit. No shocks to the system. No being so sore I can't stand up from the toilet. No stress about not getting to eat things I enjoy. And not a single burpee...
Six weeks will come and go. Why not get up and get started? After all, body in motion tends to stay in motion!
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