How to re-introduce yourself to the gym

This is an article on how to re-introduce yourself to the gym.

Regular exercise is one of the best things that you can do for your health and general well-being. Anyone that has used a gym regularly before will notice that they will begin to feel and see results in just a short amount of time.

Getting back in the gym when you’ve taken time off can be very hard to do. It can also be stressful and can be intimidating.

So we have put together a short blog on how to re introduce yourself to the gym without burning out, losing motivation or risking any injury.

The big question before we talk about how to re-introduce yourself to the gym is why start exercising again anyway?

Regular exercise has been shown to improve your health significantly.

The primary benefits for exercise include; helping you achieve and maintain a healthy body weight and muscle mass, and reducing your risk for chronic diseases. Additionally, research has shown that exercise can lift your mood, boost your mental health, help you sleep better, and even enhance your sex life. It can also help you maintain good energy levels. So as you can see exercise has great benefits to improve and maintain your health significantly. If these reasons won’t convince you, then I don’t know what will!

How to re-introduce yourself to the gym

1) TAKE IT EASY

Make sure you take it easy to begin with and edge your way in gradually. You don’t want to overdo it, as doing too much too soon will overwhelm you, mentally and physically and you will end up ‘burning’ yourself out.

So, my advice to you is to be honest with yourself and your level of fitness, it may not be the level that it once was. This will also help prevent any injuries.

Its always best to start with low intensity workouts and work your self up within a comfortable range.

If you feel or are not sure that you are able to train due to any sort of injury, then I suggest to check with your GP or physician before you attempt any sort of exercise at home or in the gym.

2) ALWAYS FIND EXERCISES THAT YOU ENJOY

It’s always beneficial to do exercises that you enjoy, we all have them. Whether its bench press on chest day or a stretch routine that leaves us feeling fresh and supple, so I always recommend doing something that you enjoy as you will get far more out of it. Sure we sometimes have to do the things we don’t like doing, however there are ways around that with alternative exercises or rewarding yourself with a longer rest break or a certain exercise for completing something that you didn’t feel like doing. Believe me, your body will thank you for it in the long run.

3) DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF

Just do what you can do is the main thing. As long as you are doing something then that’s what counts. Like I tell my clients and members, “consistency is key.”

It’s so easy to compare yourself to a ‘fitter’ you from when you were training more regularly before. If you’ve not been to the gym in a while, then it’s safe to say it’s reasonable to see a decline in strength, endurance, mood and appearance. Just stick at it and reep the future benefits.

Positivity! Make sure you stay positive in what you do.

4) ALWAYS BE PREPARED

Prepare all your workout gear and maybe your eating plan the night before. When you wake up and see your gym bag packed and ready to go, then the chances are that you will feel like you’re too far invested into the idea to back out and change your mind now.

Its always worth having pictures of other peoples bodies that you admire or maybe a picture of yourself in tip top shape around your home. Seeing this regularly will subconsciously make you believe and naturally make you end up working out. This and having little positive notes posted around the place on mirrors, appliances, etc also work.

5) ANY AMOUNT OF TIME IS ENOUGH

The most difficult part is actually getting to the gym, building up the motivation if you haven’t already got it, to get to the gym or place of exercise.

What I tell myself is that just go, do a warm up or a quick 10 minutes then that will do, even if its a 10 minute walk then you’re improving yourself and at least you’ve  done something, right? Its always best to do something rather than nothing. 9/10 times I do this and when I find myself there then I end up doing more than I planned anyway as the motivation starts creeping in as I workout.

So, whatever the situation, just make sure you get up and go, whether its for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes or an hour, the moment you start skipping workouts then that habit will start creeping in.

Getting back into the gym after a break or even starting fresh isn’t impossible, but it will take hard work and dedication. There are always other options like gym personal trainers that are available if you need extra support getting started, or group classes can be a motivating and social time.

Just remember there is always something different to do and just go for any amount of time possible.

You could always give one of the following beginner workouts a go. This is a great way to on how to re-introduce yourself to the gym.

Good luck, you’ve got this and smash it!