A long break in sports affects the body – endurance and strength are no longer what they used to be. If you start training with the same zeal, you can seriously harm your health. Coach, master of sports in powerlifting Valentina Khodusova. compiled step-by-step instructions for those who decided to return to fitness.
6 September 2017
Assess your physical fitness
It depends on the length of the break. The cardiovascular system, which is responsible for endurance, and strength will suffer anyway. But a couple of months of rest can be made up in two weeks, but the annual break will have to be worked out for six months.
Set a goal
If you want to lose weight, you cannot do without nutritional correction. Remove sweets, starchy foods, fried foods from the diet and reduce the amount of carbohydrates. You need to train according to the formula: we spend more calories than we consume, and we visit the gym at least 4, and preferably 7 times a week, gradually increasing the load. If you need to keep fit and strengthen muscles, also give up junk food. The diet should be balanced and varied. Eat carbohydrates (cereals, cereals, fruits) more often. They are a source of energy and are necessary for activity. Train 2-4 times a week, depending on the program.
Determine the load
Even if you once squatted easily 50 times in a row and won marathons, you cannot immediately return to the previous loads. At best, the next day after class, you will not be able to lift a spoon, at worst, you will get injured. Visit the gym 4-5 times a week, or every day, if your workouts involve different types of loads – stretching, cardio, strength. Exercises for all muscle groups will help you recover faster, they strengthen the muscle corset. Make it a rule to move every day: exercises, breathing and flexibility exercises, active walks. They can even be done several times a day, for example, in the morning – gymnastics, and in the evening – playing table tennis.
Rest
Recovery is the most important thing in exercise. Excessive stress can lead to chronic fatigue, nervous disorders, heart and joint diseases, and menstrual irregularities. The harder the activity, the more rest it will take to recover. The first time, let the body rest and visit the gym at least every other day.