Ease back into exercise
I used to exercise regularly, but I have had a series of injuries (car accident, ankle sprain, bad back) and don’t exercise the way I used to. Now, when I go to the gym or out for a run, the workouts I used to do are hard for me. I get discouraged and then stop exercising completely. I know starting and stopping is not a good idea, but I don’t know how to get back to where I was before. Do you have any advice?
Cheryl
Burbank
Before restarting an exercise program after even a small injury, the first thing you should do is get your doctor’s clearance. Your doctor can help you determine when it is safe to be active again.
The next step is to reprogram your workouts and how you measure your exercise success. You may not be able to jump right back to where you were before -- in fact, you may never return to the same workouts or the same intensities. But, with a different approach, you might get results that are just as good. Here are a few tips:
* Shorten the time, increase the amount. Try cutting your previous workout duration but doing more “mini” workouts. If you used to power walk for 30 minutes at a time, try three 10-minute bouts throughout the day instead. After an injury, shorter workouts can be more achievable and, if done more often, will produce the same (or sometimes greater) net calorie result as one longer session.
* Experiment with new activities. Don’t get hung up on doing the same thing you’ve always done. Coming back to exercise after an injury is a great time to try new activities that you may not have considered before, but are perfect for your body now. If you liked taking group exercise classes but can’t handle the impact, try a Pilates mat class or a swimming club. Pilates and swimming have minimal impact but are great for strengthening and toning the body. Or trade your old weightlifting program for a beginner yoga class, or kickboxing for tai chi.
* Set short-term goals. Instead of thinking about what you could do before, think about what you are able to do now. Then set a goal that is achievable within one to two weeks. This will give you a focus -- and motivation to keep on track. If you used to be able to bench-press 80 pounds but now can only do 40 pounds, set a reasonable time frame to increase your weight to 50 pounds, then 60 pounds and so on. With this approach, you can have lots of small successes on your way back to your former self.
* Buddy up. For most people, working out with others is more motivating than doing it alone. Find a workout buddy who is at or near your current level. Exercising with someone who is much stronger, faster or fitter than you can be discouraging, but exercising with someone closer to your level can keep you engaged. If you can’t find a buddy, sign up for a class or program designed to teach or train beginners to achieve a specific goal. For example, sign up for a “first-time marathoners” group if you used to be a good runner or a “learn to play tennis” group if you used to play tennis.
* Practice patience. When you are used to exercising all the time, being unable to do your regular workouts or your previous intensities can be frustrating. But be patient. Don’t push yourself too hard or too fast. You might re-injure yourself and make it worse in the long run. If you return to exercise with the right technique, positive frame of mind and a healthy approach, you might just come back stronger and see better results than ever.
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Jay Blahnik, a Laguna Beach-based personal trainer and IDEA Health & Fitness Assn. spokesman, has appeared in more than 25 videos and is the author of “Full-Body Flexibility.” He can be reached at jay@jayblahnik.com or health@latimes.com.