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Coming Back After a Long Layoff

By Anne Keckler | August 11, 2008

It happens to everyone at some point or another. You get sick or injured, or real life just interrupts your gym routine. For whatever reason, you’ve gotten out of the habit of working out, and now you face the harsh reality of getting back in shape.

If you are injured, see a doctor immediately. I cannot stress this enough. If you have been injured, do not decide for yourself whether you should just “work through it.” Get a doctor to look at it. Get x-rays and MRIs if necessary. Be sure you are not going to make things worse by working out.

Once you’ve been cleared to work out again, you’ll need to start off slowly. Don’t be too hard on yourself those first few weeks. Use light weights and perhaps fewer sets. Just get back into the routine of working out regularly, without being so sore that you can’t walk the next day.

I started back to the gym a couple of weeks ago, after a layoff of several months. I was still somewhat active, but that’s not the same thing as lifting heavy iron several times a week. So now I’m paying the price by having to lift lighter weights, but I won’t make the mistake of lifting too much too soon, risking an injury or simply getting so sore that I can’t work out on my next scheduled day. An injury will only set you back even further, and some injuries cause permanent limitations.

In reality, this layoff put me back to lifting what I was lifting a year ago. I had wanted to be bench pressing my bodyweight by now, but it will probably be at least six months, and maybe a year, before I’ll be doing that. Still, the worst thing I could do right now would be to push myself too hard.

If you are coming back from an injury, be sure you get professional advice and assistance in rehabilitating the injured body part. If you are just coming back from a long layoff for personal reasons or illness that doesn’t effect your training directly, just take it easy for a while and work back up to where you were gradually.

Related posts:

  1. Losing Weight vs. Losing Fat
  2. 25 Fitness Myths, Part 2
  3. How to Lose Those Last Stubborn Pounds
  4. Gaining Muscle
  5. Hiring a Personal Trainer: After the Interview or First Session

Related posts:

  1. Losing Weight vs. Losing Fat
  2. 25 Fitness Myths, Part 2
  3. How to Lose Those Last Stubborn Pounds
  4. Gaining Muscle
  5. Hiring a Personal Trainer: After the Interview or First Session

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Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

One Response to “Coming Back After a Long Layoff”

  1. Karen Says:
    August 12th, 2008 at 8:45 am

    Good luck with getting back into your routine. Take it slow!

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