Five Ways to Safely Rebuild Your Fitness Routine After a Festival Break

Start Small: Don’t expect to start right where you left off, even if you are experienced and very skilled at the exercises you are doing. Trying to jump right into advanced exercises or lifting too heavy a weight can put unnecessary strain on unused muscles and tendons. You can injure yourself and risk your fitness levels, preventing you from starting an intense exercise routine. , so it is important to regain your physical fitness. Start with less weight when lifting or half the repetitions than before or do less cardio than before. (Image source: Canva)

Develop Sustainable Habits: Find what works for you and create a sustainable routine that you won’t easily give up. Your previous workout routine or exercise class may not have been motivating enough for you or may have been too strenuous for your body now that you’re less motivated. Choose small habits or activities that you know you can stick with long term. Try a group class and get motivated in a fitness community so you can take ownership of your exercise routine. (Image source: Canva)

Set realistic goals and celebrate your achievement: It’s important to set small, achievable goals, rather than unrealistic expectations of being able to do what you used to do before. You may start at a lower weight or with a shorter run time than before the holidays, but that’s normal. By setting realistic goals to work toward, you can motivate yourself toward that goal and hold yourself accountable. Also, reward yourself after completing a workout, achieving a personal record, or just staying consistent with your routine. (Image source: Canva)

Fuel your body and hydrate it: Make sure you’re eating right, especially now that you’re adding activity and exercise to your routine. A balanced diet with carbohydrates as the main source of energy and protein to repair muscles after exercise will help you refuel your body while you rebuild your exercise routine. Dehydration can also cause cramps, dizziness, and other problems; hence it is equally important to hydrate while exercising. (Image source: Canva)

Rest, Recover and Stretch: After a long break from exercise, DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness is inevitable, so hydration would help eliminate the buildup in the muscles that causes soreness and stretching. Increasing stretching and movement will increase blood flow and help speed up repair time in your body. The best preventive measure you can take is to warm up and cool down before and after your workout. (Image source: Canva)

Contributed by: Drishti Chhabria, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Orangetheory Fitness, India (Image Source: Canva)