How Can I Get Back in Shape After a Long Rest?
For about 10 years, I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu three times a week – a constant level if you still find it entertaining. Of course, there were times when I got in the way of injury or work, but for the most part I found myself regularly fighting other warriors on weekends.
And then there was a pandemic. It’s clear that my training regimen has evaporated. I tried my best to stay in shape, but jogging, HIIT training, and weird boxing activities didn’t get me through the same cardiovascular event as this grappling competition.
Now that I’m vaccinated and ready to go back to the rugs, an unexpected problem has arisen: in a couple of months I will turn 32, and my cardio and overall fitness are a shadow of what it was a year ago – not to mention what it was when I was 23. How can I get back in shape after such a vacation without overdoing it mentally and physically?
While my needs may be slightly different from yours when it comes to reversing the old exercise system, a few standard rules apply to a wide range of people whose daily routine has been disrupted by the pandemic (although they will apply equally). you stopped going to the gym for some reason).
Start slowly and build from there
You can’t just go back to your old routine – you’ll have to start from a much more indulgent and less stressful place. How much more indulgent / less intense? Fortunately, you can turn to professionally validated scientific knowledge to figure out where to start, regardless of your previous fitness level.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that everyone engage in “20 to 60 minutes of continuous aerobic activity” about three times a week. 20 to 30 minutes of these minutes should include more rigorous exercise if you’re used to harder workouts in the past. The ACSP notes that the goal is different for those who are “largely unconditioned,” as these people may need “several short sessions per week” – less than ten minutes at a time, three to five times a week.
This is just a general basis for restoring your fitness, and the starting point is different for everyone. The point is, you need to start out slowly – whatever “slow” means, depending on your athletic history and comfort – and re-acclimate your body and muscles to the tension.
If you’re lifting weights or trying to get back to your favorite wind sprint program, don’t try to train to your max until at least the third week post-workout. As the Cleveland Clinic notes , you run the risk of muscle injury if you are not careful in the early days of your return:
It can make you uncomfortable on the days after your workout or open the door to muscle injury. It’s best to start low to build endurance and retrain your muscles.
Another good way to think about this: rate the difficulty of your workouts on a scale of 1-10. When you first start out — for the first two weeks — don’t go above four. After that, gradually increase the intensity once or twice a week.
Set reasonable expectations
This is especially difficult for me. When I return to the sport that I have trained my entire adult life, I expect that I will immediately perform at the level to which I am accustomed . But after a long break – especially in such an intellectual sport as jiu-jitsu – this is basically impossible.
In assessing your expectations, you need to take care not only of your body, but also of your mind. The only thing that works against you is the pressure you put on yourself, which is counterproductive; if you get close to getting back into shape with real consistency, you will eventually see results. It’s important to look at this as a long-term project and not think that success depends on instant improvement.
As personal trainer Greg Pignataro told Ladders , small triumphs don’t seem so big at first, but you’ll notice the progress as a cumulative effect:
For example, striving to increase the weight that you can successfully lift for a given exercise by five pounds a week may not seem like a lot, but over the course of a few months or a year, it makes a huge difference.
To take care
Most of us will not or cannot devote as much time as would be ideal for keeping fit. We can spend most of the day at the computer, manipulating the countless demands of life with our workouts. With this in mind, it’s important to remember the basics: stay hydrated , stretch, and warm up after your workout.
Depending on your ideal fitness level, you probably want to choose dynamic or static stretching. Dynamic stretching emphasizes activity and movement; they are primarily designed to help the body through intense stress, and research shows that they are great for maintaining flexibility and strength.
Static stretching is probably what you’re more used to, as it involves bending over and touching your toes or standing on one leg and pulling your foot back toward your glutes to stretch your quads. It is suitable for light workouts as well as warm-up after a more strenuous workout.
One of the universal rules for restoring shape is a process in which physical, spiritual and mental factors are necessarily combined. It will take you a while to immerse yourself in the course of events again, but in the end you will be glad you put in the effort.