With restrictions easing over the next few weeks in SA, we thought it was a great time to discuss a few factors to consider when returning to the gym or team sport:
- High volume load: Working out from home for the past couple of months without access to heavier weights or competition, your state of muscle strength and fitness with less high load training has likely tapered off a little, so don’t expect to go straight back to a PB.
- Don’t go crazy: Now is a good time to think of returning to the gym/sport as if you’re returning from injury. Don’t jump straight back in, build up slowly. Eg: don’t do morning and night double F45 sessions on the same day in the first week back. Even though you’re keen and want to hit it hard, start light and you’ll reduce the chances of an injury.
- Progressive planning: Over the first few weeks back to training make a plan to build gradually. Your body will be able to better adapt to your training loads if you increase the volume slowly and don’t overdo it. This will improve your conditioning base, reduce the risk of injury and allow you to make better gains in the medium term.
- Continue with your iso program: If you were doing yoga, pilates or HIIT body weight exercises from home, keep doing them. Once back to the gym or sport your body will get a different stimulus from those newer activities, but that doesn’t mean you have to drop all the other good stuff.
- Hydrate! Keep those mucosal membranes lubricated to help fight infection.