Newstricky| Around a new year, everyone is motivated to start with new good habits or return to some old ones that they’ve previously abandoned. For this reason alone, going back to the gym starting January is one of the most common new year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Don’t get us wrong, this is not impossible but expecting the process to be quick and easy is what leads to disappointment and, eventually, even abandonment of the intention.
So, what do you need to do in order to start doing sports after being away for a while? The first thing is to adopt the right mindset. Second, you need a solid game plan. Lastly, you need to be more careful and vigilant than ever before. Here are a couple of tips to help you out with all of it.
Table of Contents
Understand the difference
The first thing you need to come to terms with is the dissonance between what you could do in the past versus what you can do now. This is a bit problematic and unless you approach it very carefully, chances are that you might even get injured. Now, some people get demoralized by their poor performance (compared to their past success), while others may be motivated to get back in the game. If you’re in a competitive sport and going back to your old gym/court, you might find people who you constantly triumphed against, now far above your current level. Getting to terms with this is the first step in getting back into the game.
Take it slow
The best thing you can do is start it slow. Now, this may vary by your starting point. For instance, if you haven’t done much activity during the past couple of weeks/months, prior to getting back into the sports, you might want to start with some low-impact cardio. According to experts behind CyberFit, getting off the couch and into a gym is never a good idea. Instead, start walking or jogging on a regular basis. Then, go for a swim from time to time. If you do start with weights, take a month to reactivate all your muscle groups. How? Well, by going for a lot of repetitions with minimal weight.
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Set goals and milestones
In order to set your goals and milestones, there are a couple of things you need to do. After taking it easy for a month, you should test yourself. Get yourself a reliable spotter and start with a unique training session. Here, you’ll warm up, and start adding weight to the bar while doing series with 1 rep. Once you reach your limit, you’ll know exactly where you are. Next, try to remember (accurately) what were your limits before the break. Your goal is to bridge the gap in the following couple of months. Test yourself at the end of each month and keep records of these tests. While our examples were mostly gym-based a similar principle works in every sport.
Don’t forget stretching
You might be anxious to get back into the game but you should never forget the importance of a proper stretch and warm-up. Sure, earlier on, you might have been able to just do the training completely cold and not get injured. That was back then and, even if it was reckless even at that time, this was when you were in your top shape. This is no longer the case. Your body is now more brittle and it takes less to push it over the edge. Even if all of this wasn’t enough, by warming up and stretching, you’re actually unlocking your full potential and boosting your athletic performance.
Buy new equipment
Some people still have all of their old equipment, others may not be so lucky. Now’s not the time to save money on equipment for several reasons. First, getting injured early in the process is bound to make you give up. Working out with faulty or inadequate injury is the simplest way to get injured. Second, you might have… well, grown out of your old gear. You need something that fits and makes you feel comfortable. Lastly, by buying, you’ll actually commit to this resolution with an actual financial investment. This will be an initial incentive to get you going when going gets tough. It’s that simple.
In conclusion
In the end, remember that after you pick up the steam, you might find yourself to be stronger than ever before? A body needs time to recover, muscles need time to regrow, and after it does, it will be better than ever. However, you need to get back in the game and be serious about it. Naturally, the biggest challenge lies in not getting demoralized and giving up before you see the results. Still, if you know what you’re up against and have everything planned out (realistically), this is not very likely to happen.
