The holiday season is the time for indulging—who can say no to fresh-baked cookies, eggnog, and staying inside where it’s warm and cozy? While it’s a much-needed break for many of us, it can feel impossible to stay on track with your diet and exercise routine. If you’ve overdone it this holiday break and are gearing up to get back to your daily grind (aka the gym), you’re in good company.
As a brand centered around exercise recovery, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to get back to your fitness goals, safely and easily. We put together a few tips to help you start your workouts and get closer to your pre-holiday fitness level. Let’s go.
It’s normal for your body to decondition after a brief hiatus from exercise, no matter how physically fit you were before the holiday season. Even the toughest athletes experience deconditioning, so don’t beat yourself up if you find that you’re needing to take longer breaks and are generally more fatigued the following days after your training sessions.
Tip: A good rule of thumb is to start with 30 minutes of exercise three times a week with rest days in between, and increase slowly from there. If you’re having a hard time remembering your workout schedule, write it down in your calendar and stick to it like you would any other appointment. You may also want to hire a personal trainer or attend fitness classes so you will be motivated to show up on time.
AVOIDING MUSCLE SORENESS
The worst part about hitting the gym after a break? The dreaded post-workout muscle soreness that often comes along with it. To avoid those achy, overworked muscles, make sure to start slowly with your strength training and increase the duration and intensity of your workouts as time goes on. You may want to begin with a yoga or conditioning class to help warm up your muscles and ease back into regular movement. While it may feel redundant, taking a gentle approach should help you avoid injury and prolonged soreness.
Tip: Schedule regular stretches, drink lots of water, and use our post-workout treatments, such as our massage ball, ice sleeve, or pain relief gel to get you through those extra achy moments.
Did you know: KT Tape can reduce post-workout muscle soreness (DOMS) by up to 50%! Apply tape to targeted area before you workout, and keep it on to see the benefit over the next 2-3 days.
OTHER WAYS TO ADJUST YOUR GYM WORKOUTS AFTER THE HOLIDAYS
If you feel ready to jump right back into leg day, do yourself a favor and schedule some additional time for deep stretching. Stretching is important to your overall wellness, helping to avoid injury and increase your overall performance. Consider stretching before and after your post-holiday workouts to give your muscles that extra TLC they deserve.
Not quite ready for that hour-long gym session? Break it up into chunks throughout the week. Or, ditch the gym temporarily and aim to move for 30 minutes a day, whether it’s by going on a walk outside, doing hot yoga, or shoveling your driveway. Just make sure to prevent blisters if you’re not used to walking or running outdoors.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS
Even if 'dieting' is not part of your fitness regime, proper nutrition goes a long way when your body is going through physical exercise. It’s important to fuel your body with nutrients that will help build muscle, so getting the right amount of proteins, carbs, and fats, can make a difference for the better. You’ll also want to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Tip: Make sure to eat a healthy snack (such as peanut butter and an apple) before your workouts to keep your blood sugars in check and help reduce sweet cravings throughout the day. Keep a hydro flask of water with you all day to get your water in.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
As you get back into your exercise routine, make sure to be patient with yourself. While you may have taken a break for a few weeks or a month due to the holidays, think of all the workout routines you accomplished the 11 months prior. As long as you give yourself time to adjust and take things as slowly as possible, you’ll be back to your regular workout schedule in no time.
