5 Tips to Re-join Gym After Lockdown
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After months of restrictions, we will be able to visit our favorite gyms and fitness studios and finally be able to attend all the amazing workout classes and use the machines and equipment to our heart’s desires. However, being out of touch for so long means things weren’t the way we remember them.
Several people adapted to the lockdown by creating a make-shift, if not proper, home gym or by doing the best bodyweight exercises to stay fit. If you love the gym, there’s nothing quite like it. But going back is going to require some preparation for you to be able to sustain vigorous workouts. Even if you were doing home workouts, you might be a little less fit than you used to be and thus, need to start slowly to avoid early burnouts and injuries. Plus, you will have to take extra precautions since the threat of coronavirus is not yet completely over.
How To Prepare Yourself For Gyms Reopening
Chances are that you’re out of practice, especially when it comes to weightlifting. It is fine if you have dumbbells at home but most likely you don’t have the heavy-duty machines. Most people have been doing full body workouts at home but it wouldn’t be wrong to prep yourself for gym workout sessions. By doing, let's say, an ab workout at home or back workout at home, you can increase the range of motion of your joints and muscles. You can also do a HIIT workout at home. They will help you get back into action and you might be less sore after the first session if you’re already in the swing of things.
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You won’t be able to spend leisurely time at the gym like before, at least not initially. The sessions will be based on fixed-time slots and you’ll have to follow a schedule accordingly. The best thing, then, would be to have a workout plan in place to get the best of your time at the gym. Keep in mind that you will not have time to catch up with your workout buddies or the trainer in between sets because you will be following strict timelines and guidelines. Plus, take into account that you might be out of training and not as fit as you were before March. Make a workout plan based on the time you get to go to the gym.
Injuries happen to those who do not keep their muscles active and flexible. With the scarcity of time, you might be tempted to skip the warm-up and stretching. Don’t give in to it because the lockdown has caused us to stay immobile rather than active. Your muscles are most likely to be stiffer than usual and not prepared enough to endure hard workouts. Include stretching exercises in your workout at home if you cannot find the time for them at the gym. A warm-up, however, is indispensable to reduce injuries and get back into shape as soon as possible.
The overall impact of the lockdown on your lifestyle might be considered negative but it has been helpful in some ways as well. Since you haven’t stepped out as much, you must have eaten home-cooked food more than you ate out. While working out is extremely important, you ought to eat well and rest well for the results to show. Without them, your hard work is in vain.
Make sure to follow a good diet. A lot of people will take working out as an excuse to eat out, which will do them no good. Take it from us – all this time will have reset your frame of mind and you will find it easier to follow a better diet. Therefore, focus on eating well and resting as much as you do on hitting the gym. Get nutritional advice from certified experts with FITFEAST. Consult your personal nutritionist in real-time on chat or schedule a call for daily diet recommendations.
Everyone has a favorite type of workout at the fitness center. Even with your home workouts, you might have preferred one over the other. However, variety always keeps you motivated and more importantly keeps you safe. How you ask? Well, loading your muscles with the same movements can easily cause injuries after a while. Balance your weight training sessions with cardio and yoga exercises for flexibility. Stretching after a workout for a cool down works wonders.
