Some of us took our fitness to the next level during lockdown while some of us have seen personal fitness sink to the bottom of our priority list for understandable reasons. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the power of good health. Here are some top tips to get back on the fitness wagon:
Splurge on some new gym gear
Everyone loves to feel special in new clothes, so after a long break from the gym treat yourself to some new workout gear. This will kick off your healthy reboot and give you the chance to put your new buys to good use. It could be anything from buying clothes or gadgets to new Tupperware for your healthy snacks. Why not buy a fitness tracker to monitor progress along your fitness journey? Or, if you’ve taken up yoga or pilates, you could purchase a new mat or some colourful fitness attire.
Start slow
The first couple of weeks getting back into a fitness routine will be tough! Instead of working out to the point of exhaustion, be sure to take it easy initially. Pick a slower workout, a chilled-out yoga class or aim to achieve fifteen minutes on the treadmill at your own pace. You have to learn to walk before you can run, so work your way back up to a higher workout level and build up your strength. Check out this playlist of ‘Back to the Gym workouts’ designed by PureGym to ease you safely back into the gym and give you the inspiration and motivation you need to smash your training again.
Give yourself a break
Your body will need to rest as it will have become weaker from not exercising as much. By jumping back seven days a week, you run the risk of overdoing it or injuring yourself.
Lose the fear
It’s natural to feel anxious about returning to the gym in these circumstances. However, the new cleanliness guidelines are there to ensure your safety when working out. PureGym has been given a rating of 4.7/5 stars from more than 50,000 of their members.
Some of the changes you can expect to see at PureGym are:
- Safe distance: They’ve created the space you need to work out while keeping a safe distance and are controlling numbers in the gym at any given time;
- Extensive cleaning: Gyms will be deep cleaned every night with high-grade anti-viral disinfectant. The team will also clean every piece of kit and surface throughout the day;
- Self-cleaning stations: New self-cleaning stations have been installed so you can clean your kit before and after use;
- Hand sanitising stations: It’sasked that everybody uses the hand sanitising stations to sanitise their hands before entering the gym;
- Contactless entry: Contactless entry with the PureGym app makes your visit safer and easier;
- Staff training: All staff will be fully trained on the new cleaning and safety measures to ensure these are delivered to the highest standard.
For more information on general gym safety, please see this guide.
Give up a vice
If you’ve struggled to maintain healthy eating habits during lockdown, avoid diving into a diet and going cold turkey on all of your treats. This will just make it even harder to stick to your new food regime. Try giving up just one thing: wine, beer, smoking, chocolate, sweets, crisps, biscuits, pastries… You will be more successful giving up just one thing rather than trying to cut all of your bad habits out of your life.
Set achievable goals
Instead of thinking about the big picture - for example if you want to lose a stone in two months - you should try to focus on the short term. Set achievable day-to-day goals like using the treadmill for an extra five minutes, doing a couple more sit-ups each time or gradually lifting heavier weights. Managing your expectations and taking it slowly after a long break is the best way to go.
Good luck on your fitness journey!
