Haven't gotten off the couch in months? Have your gym clothes been lying at the bottom of the laundry basket for weeks and can't even remember what it feels like to have muscle pain? You're not alone. Merel has gone through several sport-less periods in her life, but she always picks up the pieces - or rather the weights - in the end. You can read how she does that here.
Hopefully I can lower the threshold for you.
Christmas cookies and mulled wine
Well, knowing that exercise is good for you is not the same as actually doing it. I can hang around the gym fanatically for weeks, I mean months, and then suddenly find myself in a period of doing nothing. Such a period also occurs by default at the end of the year, when the gingerbread beckons and Netflix is bulging with fun Christmas movies.
Start with a clean slate
The bad thing is, that should really be the period to keep moving, but I - and a lot of other women - just can't manage it. And you know: it's not that bad. As long as you pick up the weights again in January, your body can handle it. But how do you do it, start exercising again after a period of rest? I've developed some tricks for it over the years.
1 Slowly
It can be tempting to go a little too fast. Especially when you've finally found your way back to the gym and feel temporarily invincible. My advice: take it easy. Your muscles need time to recover and can't yet handle the same weight they did before your "sports sabbatical. So start with a lower weight if you do strength training or, for example, run a koter lap than you're used to. Really, the last thing you want is a bucket of muscle soreness. It would just make you unmotivated ;) READ ALSO: Word je dik van koolhydraten?
2 Call in an expert
For this reason, it's also no luxury to hire an expert or personal trainer. He will look at your muscle building, stamina and the goals you want to achieve. On this basis, he will draw up a plan that fits your personal situation. Not a luxury, if you have been out of the running for a while. A personal trainer does not have to cost a lot of money: at most gyms you can make a free appointment for a training plan which you then execute yourself.
3 Check your fuel
Think carefully in advance about when you will eat what. Working out again means (besides muscle pain) a different eating rhythm. And by planning ahead, you can avoid unexpected snacking. Are you following NewFysic? Then your personal coach can advise you about the adjustments in your nutrition plan. READ ALSO: Zo helpt NewFysic jou af te vallen met blijvend resultaat
4 Denk (niet) na
Je herkent het vast wel: dat gesprek wat zich in je hoofd afspeelt voordat je (niet) naar de sportschool gaat. Je bent moe, je hebt honger, voelt je niet zo lekker en wat heb je geen zin! Mijn tip: probeer zo min mogelijk te denken. Pak gewoon je sporttas en gá. Mag je dan helemaal niet meer denken? Zeker wel. Aan het lijf dat je voor ogen hebt, het gevoel na het sporten of wat je na je work-out gaat eten. Maar al die negatieve gedachten? Die laten we lekker links liggen.
5 Shop een nieuwe sportoutfit
Het leven is een feestje, maar je moet zelf ze slingers ophangen. En die slingers zijn in dit geval een nieuw sportsetje of sportschoenen. Niets is zo motiverend als een fonkelnieuw stapeltje sportkleding dat geduldig op je ligt te wachten voor zijn eerste work-out. Hup, waar wacht je nog op? Dit artikel werd geschreven door Merel (23), die onlangs begon aan haar eerste baan en zich rustig maar zeker losmaakt van haar (met bier gevulde) studentenleven. Samen met haar huisgenoten probeert ze door middel van de NewFysic methode wat rust en regelmaat in haar rijke sociale leven te krijgen. Foto: juan pablo rodriguez via Unsplash
