Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, specialises in helping people improve their confidence in the gym. She has worked with people of a variety of ages and with all sorts of health challenges, ensuring that they get stronger at a manageable pace. Here, she shares her advice on how to return to exercise having taken a summer holiday…
Lots of people take a break from their usual fitness routine during the summer. Trips away, shifting work patterns, and changes in caring responsibilities are just some of the reasons for this, plus the fact that a lot of people want to make the most of long days outside and therefore indoor activities don’t fit in to their routine.
As a result, the fitness industry has two Januarys each year: actual January, and September. Throughout August, gym floors were blissfully quiet, but if you’re visiting during the next few weeks, you might find that you’re part of a large crowd. Here’s my advice for how to get back into it without getting injured or frustrated…
Show up to the gym with a plan
Fitness professionals talk about this a lot, and that’s because it’s good advice. Having a plan before you arrive at the gym saves you time. Whilst it might be busy, and you may therefore need to adjust the plan, that’s simpler than standing confused at the door trying to figure something out before you’re even awake, or just using what isn’t being used.
Knowing what you need to do and when is equivalent to having a fridge full of food and a recipe to follow – you just need to put the ingredients together, and the job will be done.
If you’re training with a friend, have a chat in advance about who’s going to be in charge – the tendency otherwise will be to assume that the other person will take care of things, and that could lead to neither of you doing it. Offer to take it in turns, which means that you get the best of both worlds!
Take it steady
In this story, you need to be the tortoise. Fitness is rarely an emergency, and whilst you may be feeling super keen (or very guilty), it’s worth taking it slow and steady. This will help you to prevent injury and burnout – leave yourself wanting more, rather than feeling that you’ve overdone it and then don’t want to do it again.
Unfortunately, fitness is one of those things that you have to constantly work at, it’s not a one and done deal. So make it sustainable and manageable to put yourself on the path to success.
Get accountability from a fitness professional
There’s nothing quite like a booked appointment to make things happen! My clients regularly tell me that they book in to ensure that they show up – very few of us enjoy wasting money.
The benefits of personalised coaching are huge: a personal trainer will tailor your workout to your needs, make sure that your form is correct, keep an eye on your progress, and (if they’re really good) help you to enjoy yourself along the way.
Working with me is straightforward: I start with a free consultation so that you can make sure that you’re making the right choice, and ask me any questions you like. Your first session will then be booked and paid for, and you’ll have a chance to try it out for real. Then, if you’d like to continue, I’ll book you in at the ongoing frequency of your choice.
So, is now the right time to come and join me? Get in touch if you’d like to meet and discuss your options!
