You may be wondering how long it will take to get back to your Pre-Covid fitness level, and you’re not alone. You may have been off for 2-3 months or you may not have returned to activity yet.
If you are like the majority of people, it was near impossible to stay on track with your fitness. Now, we all want to get back to our fitness levels as fast as possible. Realistically, that is an awesome thought, but it can be easier said than done. Taking a long period of time off can be very challenging, both mentally and physically. Here are 4 tips to get you back to your Pre-Covid fitness levels safely.
Reset your Goals
You may have had strength training goals such as wanting to bench press 225lbs or back squat 500lbs by, let’s say, the end of September. Whatever your goal was Pre-Covid, take a step back and set some new goals. You may want to push your goal back to the end of the year. Resetting your goals will allow you to take the time to build back up and safely meet your fitness goals. This will also help you stay motivated and keep you from getting discouraged.
Warm-Up
Like any fitness goals, new or old, take the time to warm up properly. Getting your heart pumping before your workouts will prevent injury and get blood moving to the muscles, especially muscles that aren’t as used to the workload. Remember to keep your warm-ups specific and resembling the workout you are going to perform.
Start Slow
One of my favorite saying is “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” and when you are getting back to fitness this couldn’t be more true. If you try to jump right back into strength training after a couple months off or even a couple weeks, this could greatly increase your risk of getting injured. Taking your time will allow your nervous and muscular systems to get “reintroduced” to strength training.
Written by GUADS staff member Patrick with contributions from www.menshealth.com
