A lot of people make a New Year’s resolution to get back in shape, but what happens sometimes is that they do too much too fast. It’s easy to get caught up in the enthusiasm of new goals, but you need to play it smart and ease into your exercise program, especially if it’s been awhile since you worked out.
It’s natural to want to run the same distance, do the same workouts at the gym, or lift the same amount of weight you did prior to your layoff. Unfortunately, this kind of enthusiasm can result in injury.
Consider starting out with a shorter run, and do that for a bit before you increase your mileage. And instead of expecting to jump right back into the same weight circuit at the gym, start with lower weights and fewer reps. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to work back up to your previous level and even go beyond it.
You might feel like it takes a little longer than you want to get back in shape, but patience is worth it. When you start back gradually, you’ll be better able to avoid injury and also to avoid the typical soreness associated with doing too much too soon.