RETURNING TO EXERCISE POST LOCKDOWN

It's fair to say Lockdown may have been one of the biggest disruptions in your regular exercise habit. But let's not forget other changes of circumstances such as a new job, moving home, getting injured or starting a family are also some of the things that can lead to a break in the routine and a change of lifestyle, which may last weeks, months or even years.

But don’t worry, even the most dedicated exercise fanatics take breaks from their exercise regime. So, if you have had to take some time off, rest assured it is still possible to get back into the swing of things and create a new focus and routine.

A word of caution...

If it has been a while since you had any regular exercise routine and you would like to return to your old ‘shape’ and form, you might be tempted to pick up where you left off. But please be aware that this might result in you injuring yourself or becoming so stiff and sore that you never wish to step foot in the gym again.

The good news...

As someone who has trained before, the good news is your muscle ‘memory’ remains for a long time, so the healthier and better shape you were in before, the less time it will take to get back to where you want to be.

Naturally, the longer you go without exercise, the longer the process of recovery, but if you follow these guidelines, you will help you get back to feeling healthy and vibrant in no time. It will also help if you lower your expectations at the start, as to begin with you may feel a little ‘rusty’ and sluggish. By reducing the pressure on yourself, you may be less inclined to feel frustrated and quit. Gradually ease back into your workouts to avoid injury.

Slowly build up to a less-intense version of your regular workout, before ploughing into the version you were performing before your respite. Keep intensity low (around 50-60% of your perceived ability). Gradually increase intensity and resistance as your body becomes accustomed to your new regime. Patience and dedication are crucial, so remember, you can regain your fitness, it just needs time and investment. Small setbacks and minor blips are just part and parcel of your quest for a healthy active lifestyle.

As you slowly ease back into your exercise regime, it’s vital that you consider that your time away from training might have meant not only a reduction in the amount of exercise you performed, but potentially the amount of movement you may have performed on a daily basis.

‘What is the difference’, I hear you say?

I think we all have a rough idea of what a lack of exercise means, but a lack of movement has just as much, if not greater impact on our body. If our muscles, bones, connective tissue, and joints are not shown the range of movements they would or should perform daily, the implication for many, particularly the ageing generation, is huge. This lack of movement may create a restriction in the range movement in the joints, (‘rustiness’) which affects mobility and balance, and creates weakness, and possibly even pain.

Rest breaks

The concept of rest breaks can be used across the board; if you are sat down most of the day, your ‘rest break’ should be movement, walking, standing – moving away from the static loading of tissues you have built up whilst sat down.

It is vital that you prepare your musculoskeletal system for the task you expect it to do. As you jump out of bed, remember that your intervertebral discs (spinal shock absorbers) are most vulnerable the first hour after you get up. Therefore, it’s probably a good idea to avoid heavy loading and high impact exercise until at least an hour after getting out of bed.

As you race from the office and head for the gym to do some cardio, it’s worth considering that the stationary bike will put your shoulders in the same internally rotated position as sitting at your desk typing does. So, if you’ve been sitting at a desk typing for most of the day, then you might want to choose a different cardio machine such as a cross trainer or Stairmaster.

This will decrease the likelihood of developing poor posture. If you do enjoy the bike or cycling then it is worth thinking about including some external rotation exercises into your workout plan, as well as thinking about your posture throughout the day.

Many of the injuries that occur from training, can be broken down into these categories:

1) No pain – no gain!

This applies to those returning to exercise after at least several years away and expecting to do exactly what they did 10-20 years ago (common amongst middle-aged men). An ageing body will not perform in the same way as it did in its youth, especially if it has not been looked after. We all know that physical activity can bring its fair share of aches and pains, but if we were to stop exercising at the first sign of discomfort, we would probably never do any exercise at all. The key here is to differentiate between pain and discomfort when exercising. Effort and discomfort often go hand in hand, and we may call it good pain, or even useful pain. When this becomes actual pain — burning or stabbing or sharp — that is a signal for you to stop.

2) Do not put all your eggs in one basket

This relates to those that give up on a particular exercise, preferring to stick with ones that they like, thus compounding weakness and imbalance.

Those of you with investments will understand that one of the best ways to strengthen a long-term financial portfolio is to diversify investments. The same applies with your ‘health and fitness portfolio’. Variety in your exercise maximises benefits and minimises obstacles to working out, such as injuries, plateaus, and boredom.

3) I saw it on YouTube

This applies to those that gain their inspiration online* (or from fellow gym users), and attempt exercise regimes without the proper preparation, strength, stability, or mobility to perform. Videos on the internet can be a fantastic source of inspiration and education, but the issue arises when viewers try to bite off more than they can chew. In other words, they attempt an exercise or workout that is beyond their current capability. Left unguided or coached, they run the risk of pushing themselves too far and putting excess strain on either their musculoskeletal or cardiovascular system. (*Not all online exercise videos are created by fitness professionals, and not all fitness professionals create fitness videos)

Not Fit for Purpose

If you picture two trees, one Oak, the other Willow, both have trunks, roots, and leaves, but both behave in the wind in different ways. The Oak is solid, whilst the Willow is flexible. Now think of the gym, we all try to improve flexibility and strength, for those Oaks amongst you, the strength comes easy, whilst the Willows find stretching and flexibility a walk in the park. The problems occur when the Oak tries to become flexible and the Willow attempt to gain strength!

What should I do?

Whatever you do, do something. Your time away from training may not have been your choice, but exercise is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Take time to pause, take a breath, reflect, then look at the bigger picture. Try and create a ‘blueprint’ for how you wish to spend the rest of your life. Imaging ourselves aged 90, still physically active and mentally alert might mean your lifestyle choices may radically change.

• Choose mobility instead of miles pounded on the treadmill.

• Choose flexibility and agility rather than high intensity and burn.

• Learn to manage your own body weight and improve all your ranges of movement rather than throwing heavy weights around the gym.

• Be balanced, be gentle and listen to your body.

• Take responsibility for your own health and well-being and you will limit the harmful effect that stress, lack of exercise, too much sitting down and poor posture can place upon your body, joints, and overall health.

• Invest in your health and fitness portfolio!

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