Summer often brings a flurry of social events, indulgent dining, and sometimes a break from regular exercise routines. If you’ve found yourself attending weddings, enjoying lavish breakfasts on vacation, and avoiding exercise because of the heat, you’re certainly not alone.
Staying consistent with an exercise regimen during the summer can be challenging. If you struggle with gym anxiety or simply don’t know where to start, Chelsea Labadini, Personal Trainer and Founder of Chelsea Labadini’s Online Coaching, offers her tips for getting your fitness routine back on track after summer.
1. Stop Procrastinating
While it may seem obvious, the key to getting your exercise routine back on track is to plan and commit. Stop waiting for the perfect moment – whether it’s the start of the week or the kids going back to school – and just get moving. Any exercise is better than none, and relying on motivation alone is a recipe for inconsistency.
Recognize the privilege of being able to exercise and move your body. Consider how much better you feel afterwards. Maintaining your fitness is about mindset and responsibility. If self-motivation is insufficient, consider exercising with a friend or booking classes in advance to increase your chances of being seen.
2. Peace Yourself
Once you have made it to the gym, it is crucial to listen to your body and avoid overesertion. After a break from exercise, your strength and stamina will decrease. When weight training, start with a comfortable weight and increase gradually, ensuring that you maintain good form. Start with three full-body sessions per week, or if you’re more advanced and have the time, aim for four sessions.
Adequate rest between sessions is essential for muscle recovery. Remember, rest is a critical component of any fitness regimen.
3. Back to basics
Before diving into high-intensity interval training (HIIT), spend a month focusing on the basics. Strength training should precede HIIT, regardless of your fitness goals. Increase daily functional movements and build a strong base, reducing the risk of injury from cardio or HIIT training.
Leave your ego at the door and focus on compound exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, deadlifts and rows. These exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, providing a complete workout.
4. Prepare for DOMS
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is common after resuming exercise, typically 12-24 hours after the workout. You may experience stiffness, pain and tenderness due to micro-tears in muscle fibers.
To relieve DOMS, keep moving and avoid prolonged periods of inactivity, which can worsen discomfort. Take a couple of days out of the gym, but continue walking, stretching, and using a foam roller to ease muscle tightness.
5. Fuel Yourself
Nutrition plays a pivotal role in your exercise routine. Consume carbohydrates and protein in your training window, ideally, post-workout protein and pre-workout carbohydrates. If you prefer to workout in the morning and you can’t eat before, make sure to take those carbohydrates later.
Carbohydrates provide the energy needed for exercise, while protein is vital for muscle repair and growth. A favorite snack is overnight oats or porridge with berries and a touch of peanut butter. After your workout, increase your protein intake. Opt for protein bars with at least 20g of protein, as marketing can be misleading.
In short, choose activities that you enjoy and can stick to consistently. Stick with the same program or schedule for a month, gradually increasing the weights, repetitions or intensity every week. Embrace the benefits of movement and strength training. You’ll be back in your fitness routine in no time.
READ MORE: From DOMS to Salty Sweat: What Your Body is Trying to Tell You Pre + Post-Workout
