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“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” - Derek Jeter
As the weather gets nicer, you might have decided to start exercising more. Congratulations! When restrictions loosened back in October, the number of people running went up by 731,000 people. Would you like to exercise more after a long time of doing very little? How can you start exercising again without injuring yourself or quickly losing interest? In this article, we’ll be looking at how to start exercising again after not having done it for a while, be it due to pregnancy, injury, or just inactivity. Getting back into shape has never been so easy.
Tips for Getting Back into Exercising
Would you like to start exercising more? Whether you’re a beginner or have just fallen out of the habit, it’s never too late to exercise.
- Increased metabolism for hours after each session
- Decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases
- More energy
- Lose weight
- Fight the effects of premature ageing
- Improve your immune system
- Strengthen your bones
- Sleep better
- Manage stress
- Improve your mood
- Work your joints
- Reduce the risk of certain cancers
- Maintain a healthy physique
As you’ll have understood, exercising is good for you! Once you get into the swing of things, it’s a tough habit to break. It’s important to choose how you exercise. At home or in a gym? High-intensity workouts or moderate exercise? When it comes to choosing how to exercise, it’s a good idea to choose something that you enjoy. So would you prefer a workout in the gym or some taichi? Cycling or Nordic walking? Find what works for you and whether you prefer group sessions or just doing it yourself out in the open. If you’re looking for guidance, then you can always try something more intense with a personal trainer, which is a great way to get the most out of your sessions. Don’t forget to set up a schedule. How many sessions a week can you do? Two or three 30-minute sessions each week is normally the minimum. Set yourself objectives, too. What are your goals? Try the SMARTER method: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-related, Exciting, Rewarding. Whether you want to lose weight, run a marathon, or just simply get into shape, make sure that you regularly monitor your progress. This will help you stay motivated. Of course, make sure you give yourself enough time to achieve your goals. Having fun is the key to success when it comes to exercising. Find out more about getting into a regular exercise routine
Getting Back into Shape after Pregnancy
For new mothers, it’s recommended that they start getting back into shape with some gentle exercise. There are a few important steps you need to take to get back into shape.
- Tone your stomach
- Work on your breathing
- Strengthen your pelvic floor
- Improve your circulation
- Reduce back pain
- Build ab muscles
- Reduce incontinence and the risk of pelvic organ descent
These are the kinds of exercises you can do with your baby, too. Since you won’t be jumping around, it’s a good idea to go for long walks and use your baby’s weight in the pram for resistance.
“It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” - Paul “Bear” Bryant
Find out about exercising after pregnancy
Getting Back into a Routine after an Injury
If you’re injured, your exercise routine needs to be tailored to your injury. You won’t want to do any exercises that will exacerbate your injury.
- Be sure to hydrate
- Don’t skip the warm-up Prepare your body for exercise
- Include breathing exercises
- Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts
- Respect your limits
- Work on your posture and movements
Give it a try! Exercises like swimming, cycling, or even just walking are good for avoiding injury and make sure you pay attention to any niggling concerns. You have plenty of time to recover so don't rush. Find out more about exercising after an injury
Exercising at Home
With the magic of the internet, you can exercise from home. So how can you do it? One of the advantages of exercising at home is that you rarely need a lot of equipment.
- Nike Training Club
- Freeletics
- Fizzup
- 7 Minute Workout
- TrainSweatEat
Find out more about exercising at home Good luck with your workout routine! If you're looking for help with your fitness routine, consider getting help from a personal trainer or coach on Superprof. There are instructors and coaches all over the country and around the world ready to start working with you on your fitness. There are different ways to get fitness coaching and each comes with advantages and disadvantages so think carefully about which would work well for you and your budget. Face-to-face coaches can train you at your home, a gym, or outdoors in a park, for example. With the session being just between you and them, you can guarantee that you'll have their undivided attention and that every minute will be planned with you in mind. All this planning takes time and expertise so one-on-one coaching tends to cost more than the other options out there, but it is also the most cost-effective. Group coaching is great for those on a tight budget as every member of the class will be paying for the instructor's time and expertise. It can also be really useful to have other people there to support you and spur you on. When exercising in groups, you'll probably be exercising in public spaces, gyms, or dedicated space. Thanks to the internet, you can also get online coaching, which is useful if you can't find any suitable coaches in your local area but would still like to get guidance from one. Some might guide you through your workouts over video conferencing software like Zoom or Skype whereas others may just act in a consultancy role, providing you with a tailored workout and dietary plan for you to follow in your own time. Remember that a lot of the coaches and fitness instructors on Superprof offer the first session for free so try a few out before deciding on the one that's right for you and your budget.
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