Congratulations on committing to re-enter the fitness world! It’s been awhile, so where to start? When your workout has taken a back seat to life, try these easy tips to get moving again. You’ll super-charge your motivation with super-results!

Scenario: Injury. Just because you’re unable to continue your current mode of exercise doesn’t mean giving it up all together. Most training plans can be adjusted to work around injury. Be smart, use common sense to not exercise through pain, enlist aid from a professional, but keep moving. Moving often helps the physical healing process, and will do wonders mentally and emotionally as well.
Expert strategy: Try cross-training! Cross-training provides an unaccustomed effect and burns more calories allowing you to work around your injury. If you have an injured upper body, try a stationary bicycle cardio workout. If you have an injured lower body, try an upper body ergometer. Unable to do high impact exercise as you’re used to? Jump in the pool for a non impact workout.  Unable to lift heavy weights for awhile? Try a challenging exercise band or body weight circuit workout.

Scenario: Poor performance. Every once in awhile regardless of training efforts, our performance will be less than par. While it’s hard to mentally accept the outcome, quitting will only lead to regrets and wondering what could have been. For example, you trained so hard for the 5K, but an unexpected sinus infection caused your performance to slip.
Expert strategy: Reset your mental focus! For example, write down what was a controllable-factor contributing to your poor performance (hydration, food the night before and during the race, sleep), and what was uncontrollable (sinus infection.) Let go of the un-controllables, and then sign up for a new event or goal.

Scenario: Time away from working out. In everyone’s journey to healthy living, there will be times when exercise must wait or be modified.
Expert strategy: Focus on consistency! Remember that living healthy is cumulative, every little bit counts. Take what time and energy is available and make healthy choices. For example, set a goal to workout 3 days a week to start. Use a calendar to mark your progress.

Scenario: Travel. Tending to obligations out of town can be time consuming and tiring. For example, the unexpected travel your boss required last quarter meant you had to forego your favorite spin classes for several weeks.
Expert strategy: Plan ahead! Next time you have to travel, research your visiting town beforehand.  Find a gym where you may purchase a guest pass to attend their spin class, or pack your running shoes and head out for a jog after your meetings.

By Nicole Clancy