Coming Back from a Break
Written by: Coach Slater
Last week’s Spring Break kept many out of the gym. It happens every year. And we know that people have a hard time coming back to the gym after that week off… maybe their break turns into a couple weeks, or a month. Or maybe they’ve already been on a break before Spring Break even started!
Coming back to the gym becomes harder the more time you allow to pass. Waiting leads to weeks of contemplating coming to the gym, and before you know it, half the year has flown by.
Getting Over The Fear
Remember when you first started at Derby City and how sore you’d be after workouts? You were sore for days on end, but you came back a second day, didn’t you? And coming back from a break can bring back those memories of being super-sore. No one dreams of feeling like that again, so why would you want to do it a second time? Starting over again doesn’t have to be difficult.
Here are some things you can do to get back from a slump, start over fresh, and fall in love with training all over again.
1. Get Cleared by a Doctor / Physical Therapist — If you’re recovering from an injury/post surgery, you must ensure that you have been cleared by a licensed professional that has been overseeing your condition. The worst thing you can do is come back to training and re-injure yourself because your body just wasn’t ready. If your Doctor clears you with limitations, then we’d recommend contacting Daryl Williams at ProRehab Louisville so he can further help you understand the “why” behind your injury, give you modifications, and then he can communicate with our Coaches about how to keep you safe in your return.
2. Give Yourself a Break — Don’t compare yourself NOW to who you were THEN. If it’s your first day back after being out for months, you shouldn’t expect to be putting up the same numbers you had before. Allow yourself a few weeks to get familiar with working out all over again. Scale down movements and reps. Focus on moving correctly with great form. Your strength will return with time and skills that you have developed will never go away. Your endurance will take time to get back to where it used to be but it’s ok. Enjoy the process.
3. Make Working Out a Priority — Showing up for your workout should be just as important as showing up on time for your job. Adjust your daily schedule to allow for training and get it done. Fitnessing is great for your health and shouldn’t be something you “maybe” do.
4. Have Someone Hold You Accountable — If it’s hard for you to self-motivate, ask a classmate to help you stay on track. Ask them to text you about coming to the same class time and get back into group training. Laying on the ground, gasping for air, is better when you’re doing it alongside others. Or, tell Coach Lexi to hound you about coming to the gym. She checks in with people who haven’t checked-in for awhile. She can be your accountabilibuddy until you get back on track.
5. Know It Will Be Hard — Yes, you will be sore. Yes, your lungs will be on fire. It gets better. You owe it to yourself to feel great and give your body what it needs. With proper scaling as the weeks roll by, you’ll start to get your groove back.
6. Rest/Recover — Be sure to stay hydrated and nourish yourself properly. Processed foods and junk foods can make you feel terrible, while decreasing your energy levels, which affects what you do in the gym. Your body craves healthy foods and it runs better when you give it clean fuel. Give it what it needs and you’ll not only make thru your workouts easier, but you’ll actually be in better spirits, too.
Don’t Wait Too Long
Don’t wait too long to find time for yourself again. Even if thirty minutes is all you have, and only have time for the WOD, make the most of it and work hard. You owe it to yourself to feel good, look good, and be healthy. Derby City misses you.