Getting Back into Fitness After COVID Restrictions Are Lifted

GUEST POST by Henry James - Fitness & Boxing Coach, London, UK

Everything is slowly but surely getting back to normal in the UK, we’ll soon be able to go back to the gym and workout like we used to before COVID safety restrictions.

However many gym goers will make the common mistake of returning to the same training plan they followed prior to gym closures, but is that wise?

The first UK lockdown taught me that working out from home is not the same as working out at the gym.

Mainly due to:

• Not having access to facilities such as machines and free-weights.
• Struggling not having that extra push from your trainer.
• Hard to keep motivated when you're used to competitive sports.

After the first lockdown, and we were allowed to return to the gym - we all felt how hard it was. As a personal trainer, I noticed the struggle demotivated people. 

Even though my clients had been working out during lockdown, they hadn’t been working at the same level as before. They and I noticed how it had affected their fitness level during classes and gym sessions.

During lockdown maybe you were demotivated and did not exercise, or maybe you adapted and found a way to work out from home?

Whichever category you fall in to, you are probably not be as fit as you were before. It may be challenging, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t get back to your former fitness level

When lockdown is finally over, wherever you live in the world, be smart about your training. You don’t want to go into it headfirst- you want to build into it.

Take it back to basics:

• start with lighter weights
• work on form and capability
• build into the amount of days you train, for example, you could start with 2-3 times a week rather than every day, to build up your fitness. The last thing you want is to feel fatigued after the first day back.
• Take it slow, be sensible and most importantly listen to your body.

With patience, you will be where you want to be in no time! 

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If you are still in lockdown, here are some tips from Henry on keeping motivated...

 

 

 

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