How to get back to exercise after a break
After an illness, an injury or a few weeks without moving, what works is coming back with less and coming back soon. A simple guide to restarting.
2 min read
First: you have not lost everything
After a break of a few weeks, what you notice most is your stamina: you tire sooner. Strength holds up better. And what took you months to gain comes back faster the second time.
Come back with less than you were doing
In the first week, lower your goal. If you were doing four days, aim for two. If you ran forty minutes, go out for twenty. That week's goal is not getting fit: it is getting going again.
Pick whatever is easiest to start. A walk counts.
Come back soon, even if it is little
What weighs most is not how much you do on the first day, but how long you take to do it. The longer the break drags on, the harder it is to start. Ten minutes today beats the perfect session next Monday.
If it was an injury or an illness
Follow what your doctor or physiotherapist told you before any general advice, including this. If something hurts when you come back, stop and ask.
Sources
This text is for information only and is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional.