Getting Back Into Fitness After a Break

Exercise can be hard, especially when the demands of daily life leave most people little time for themselves. Even more difficult is trying to jump back into a workout routine after months or even years of not working out at all. Whether you’re looking to recommit to a long abandoned New Year’s resolution or prepare your body for a physically rigorous summer, returning to fitness, even after a break, is a goal easily within your reach.

What Happens to Your Body During an Exercise Break?

Scientists have found that just three sedentary weeks can bring challenges whenever you start working out again. You will likely feel more tired than usual because oxygen is not being delivered to your body as efficiently as before, causing your heart to work harder to circulate blood and oxygen to where it is needed. After two months of inactivity, you can expect the size and strength of your muscles to have decreased, which means that whenever you re-commit to strength workouts, you will likely experience muscle soreness.

What Can I Do to Make Getting Back into Shape More Manageable?

But all is not lost. Here are two simple, yet tried-and-true tips for reigniting your workout routine after a break or for starting one for the first time:

1. Start with just a little something. When it comes to getting back into shape or trying to avoid getting out of shape in the first place, something small is better than nothing at all. Taking the stairs or walking around the block during your lunch break can make a difference. In fact, doctors say even a few minutes each day of interval training can keep your blood volume elevated, allowing your body to work efficiently whenever you are ready for longer or more intense workouts.

2. Try to be consistent. When re-engaging with your workout routine, your main goal should be consistency, like exercising each day for whatever amount of time is manageable for you. Once you have established this habit, build subsequent goals around increasing the time or intensity of the workout, regardless of the type of exercise (e.g., weightlifting, cardiovascular exercise, etc.).

How Long Will It Take to Get Fit Again?

Each person’s body is different. The length of time it will take you to get back to the #fitnessgoals shape you are striving for depends on many factors like age, prior level of fitness, diet and genetics. The good news is that although you may experience some level of fitness loss when you stop exercising, muscular strength does not leave completely.

One study found that for older adults who took a 12-week break from exercise, less than eight weeks of retraining got them back to prebreak levels. Others believe that with less than two weeks of moderately hard workouts, you may be able to regain nearly half of your fitness.

Still, there’s a reason for the phrase slow and steady wins the race. Personal trainers recommend listening to how your body responds to exercise before increasing the challenge of workouts. Keep in mind that consistency and gradual increases in workout difficulty are crucial parts to a long-lasting fitness routine and lasting physical health.