It is (hopefully) the final month of Stage 4 restrictions which (hopefully) means in no time we will be back to normal life and sport and exercise…. hopefully! Which means now is the perfect time to start reconditioning your body to sport and exercise again, so you are back to full capacity when we return.
CREATE A ROUTINE
The hardest part of changing your current routine is continuing to follow through after 1-2 weeks. If you are not already accustomed to exercising regularly, the more decisions you have to make about when to exercise, the more likely you are to lose motivation.
Choose days and times that suit you and your current routine.
START SLOWER & PAY ATTENTION
Regardless of whether you are running, weightlifting, playing sport or doing a HIIT workout, similar rules apply.
Start at 70% capacity from your pre-COVID statistics
When lifting, decrease your pre-COVID weight by 70% and build up from there.
When running, decrease your distance, intensity and/or frequency by 70% and build up form there
SET REALISTIC GOALS
There is a huge difference in the motivation, determination and significance behind these two examples of goals:
Example 1 – Run this week
Example 2 – Run 4km every day from Monday 10 August to Sunday 16 August
Follow the SMART guidelines when creating goals:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time Bound
PAIN
If you get DOMS (Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness) that last more than 24-48hours, you’ve probably strained/injured something so if you are still in pain 3 days post training, we definitely recommend booking an appointment. Depending on your presentation this can either be done in person or over Telehealth (just give us a call to discuss which option is better for your presentation).
