After the Holidays • Getting Back into Your Self Care Discipline
Working out after the holidays is hard. I mean, it’s difficult enough to come back to your normal routine of setting an alarm, going to work, doing chores, and so on after spending a week lazing around with friends and family. But I personally have the hardest time getting back into fitness. I adapt quickly and efficiently to eating copious amounts of cookies and lying on the couch for hours on end. But by Jan. 2, my body and my brain are not exactly thrilled about a workout wake-up call.
So I wanted to share: how can I make the return to fitness as painless as possible? As a trainer, who still struggles with being disciplined after the holidays, I am here to say it has a lot to do with setting realistic expectations and going easy on yourself. As tempting as it might be to dive in as fast as possible, the best thing you can do for your body and your mental health is ease back into your routine slowly. Here’s what to do.
How to Start Working Out After the Holidays or a break:
- Go in with a patient (and realistic) mindset. “Be realistic about what you can consistently do, week after week, in order to make working out a habit again. If you can’t get up early enough for an hour-long strength workout, plan to do a 30 minute session for your first week back. Set initial goals that are small and manageable this way you stay motivated and feel a sense of accomplishment.
- Ease up on workout intensity and frequency to avoid injury. Expecting to bounce right back after a longer break just isn’t fair to your body. Any break causes a change in the adaptations you have been training for. In other words, if you don’t use “it” — your lung capacity for cardio and/or your muscular strength for weightlifting — you do lose a bit of it, at least temporarily. Returning to your fitness routine will help you get those gains back and then some, but it is normal for there to be an initial drop-off. Be patient with your body. Starting with less volume is key as you build endurance back up.
- Prioritize sleep, hydration, and nutrition. Take care of your body outside the gym by getting enough sleep, hydration, and fuelling up with nutritious foods. No matter how hard you work in the gym, none of it matters if you aren’t feeding and taking care of your body the other majority of the time.
- Remember that taking breaks in the long run is beneficial to the growth and development of your muscles. There’s no need to feel guilty about taking some time off. Look at your holiday break as an opportunity to spend time with friends and family while letting your body rest. When you’ve been working hard, taking a break is good for you. It gives you the chance to come back even stronger. Recovery has a purpose!
Looking for a place to start? Here’s a post-holiday workout plan to help you get back into the swing of things.
