Returning to gyms – how to safely return to working out after a year of being locked down.

08 March 2021

We’ve endured almost a year of lockdowns and falling on and off the fitness wagon, so here’s how to return safely to a normal routine.

Getting back into a regular fitness routine will be no walk in the park, (we’ve had too many of those) especially after the turbulent rollercoaster of a year everyone’s had. And unless you’ve been in military training or similar, you will be very much used to the long periods of slumps in between all the motivational bursts of energy.

So, ahead of gyms opening on April 12th, it’s time to prepare for wearing real clothes, seeing people in real life and committing to those HIIT workouts on the daily, not just a hit-and-run basis. However, now that real structure and routine is returning it’s important to take it all in your stride - a year of uncertainty and stress can really take its toll on our body’s capacity!

1. Take the pressure off

Now that our world is about to open up again, it’s important to remember to go at your own pace and not put pressure on yourself to lose weight trying to achieve a ‘summer body.’ This will only lead to burnout, fast! Take away the unrealistic expectations, set some simple, achievable goals such as completing 10,000 steps or day, and gradually increase the intensity of weights/ workouts.

2. Lifestyle over results

Let’s be honest, we will all want to see immediate results as we slowly start to get our lives back to where they were. But as fitness professionals, we know better than most that this will not be the case! Instead of trying to carve out those abs, carve out time and space to simply enjoy the gift of freedom and regular exercise once more. The physical effects won’t appear quickly, but the mental effects certainly will.

3. Switch it up

If you go from doing no exercise to suddenly doing it everyday, your body will be in for quite a shock. It won’t be used to the frequency so you may feel drained and less energetic. In order to prevent you feeling unmotivated, try to switch up everything to do with your workouts. Whether this is the time of day, the type of exercise, or even just a different environment, this will all motivate you towards progress.

4. You’re only human

Even if you’re a fitness professional or personal trainer, surviving through a pandemic will have been a stressful time for your body. Take every day in your stride, know your limits and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you are still learning to become a PT with us.