subject: How To Ease Back Into Your Fitness Regime [print this page] The easiest thing to do is quit..but there is a simple method that is very effective to get you back on the straight and narrow.
So you are back to some form of regular exercise after a gap that seems like it has run into years. Youd like to believe that you hit that old routine from the first day in, like you can do the old five mile jog without any trouble at all. But barely half a mile into the jog, you realize you are panting, sweating and very, very tired. Let alone the five mile jog, reaching the first milepost (literally!) will be an insurmountable challenge.
The good news is, youre not the first person to have faced this problem, and rest assured, you will not be the last. But theres help at hand, and the trick lies in giving your body some rest while you are exercising.
Getting into the groove, so to speak, is not the easiest thing in the world. You body needs to acclimatize itself to the new routine, and about a week into your exercise sessions, you should notice some improvements. But apart from that, try and not do the entire session with the same intensity.
Take the example of the five mile jog that we spoke about earlier. Accept that you cannot do the entire five miles at one go, and pace yourself accordingly. Fitness experts speak of the three-two-three routine. This involves setting an easy pace for, say three laps. Once those are done, go at it hard for about two laps, and then give your body some rest for another three laps.
Settle into this comparatively easier routine, and feel your body adjust to it. Once you grow used to this schedule, try and speed things up a bit. Complete the same routine, but at higher speeds. And then build up from this base.
This solution applies with equal satisfaction to any kind of sports or fitness routine that you choose to undertake.
Remember, its not about going at it as hard as possible from the first day in. Rather, it is about pacing yourself as much as possible, and letting your body grow used to the demands you are making on it. So go ahead and give your best but in measured fashion.
