Fitness Friday: Back on the Fitness Wagon

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Has this ever happened to you? Just when you’ve got your workouts and eating habits in check, something happens to knock you off track. One day turns into a week, you miss your weekly grocery store visit, and consequently, you eat out more often, exercise less, have less energy to get things done, and BAM… you have barely moved a muscle or broken a sweat in 2 – 3 weeks! If so, then you know what it’s like to officially fall off of the Fitness Wagon. (No judgment, it happens to us all).

When you fall off of the fitness wagon, the most important thing is to get back on (preferably within 1 – 3 weeks). Here are some tips of how to get back into your routine when you’ve fallen by the wayside: (I suggest following these tips for the first 3-5 workouts).

Start slow: Do your body a favor and realize that it needs some time to adjust to getting back into the swing of things. There is no need to run a 5k to prove that you still “got it”. That can cause serious damage to your joints, muscles and ligaments.
The Replacement Method: A complete overhaul of my diet and fridge doesn’t work for me. I have more longevity with a healthy diet if I begin to replace the bad with the good. Start by eating a healthy breakfast, then replace unhealthy drinks (i.e. Soda, and coffee) with water, and next, trade in one meal a day (preferably lunch) with a hearty meal.
Schedule time: Often, the main culprit of most workout breakdowns is lack of time. Schedule your workouts like you schedule a meeting and stick to it. The best person to share your time with is yourself!
Move it, Move it: My favorite workouts to climb back on the wagon are (1) Yoga classes – They get oxygen back into your blood, and wake up your muscles in a nice and gentle way. (2) Elliptical – It’s easy on the joints and an easy way to get moving and break a sweat. (3)Light weights or bodyweight exercises –Follow your regular workout routine without weights or no weights at all. (however, remember resistance/strength training is vital for longevity). Let your body get used to moving again and then add the weight back on.
DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP!: Stuff happens… Just hop back on and keep moving!