Fit like before the lockdown - Here's how!
Finally: summer is here and at the same time Corona incidence rates are dropping enough that training can gradually resume in gyms and indoor training rooms. How long all gym members have waited for this! How great was the longing during the dark winter of 2020/2021 to finally be allowed to train 'normally' again.
As great as the joy is now, there are a few things you should take to heart. Especially if you have done more or less nothing for months and your training was forced to take a pause.
Gyms open at last!
A friend told me last week how thrilled she was that her gym was reopening after months of pandemic-related closure. She was standing right outside the doors on reopening day, right as they unlocked, freshly motivated to give it her all again. Afterwards she told me: 'I guess I overdid it a bit out of sheer enthusiasm.'
And that's precisely where the problem lies. You could actually write this down as a rule of thumb on a piece of paper and slip it into your gym bag as a friendly reminder.
The sentence could read as follows: Don't overdo it right away!
Even if all members are rightfully thrilled about sports facilities and gyms reopening. Even if the Corona winter was long and exhausting, and you might be even happier than usual that your gym can finally open again. Don't overdo it right away out of sheer euphoria. Your body, your muscles, and also your brain first need to get used to all the (movement) patterns and strains again. Don't overburden your muscles, tendons, and joints directly by jumping right back into full gear over-enthusiastically, as if there had been no training break at all.
What should you consider when starting to train again after the Corona break?
First of all: start small! Even if you really want to jump right back in super motivated: slow yourself down a little. Don't immediately go through your full pre-Corona equipment circuit and then stack a workout class on top of it. Yes, that's not exactly thrilling, we know. You want to get going, you are highly motivated, looking forward to the gym, the people, your old workout routine. Completely understandable.
But it would be smarter to establish a status quo first:
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Where is your body right now training-wise?
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How fit are you really?
If you kept training regularly at home during the winter—maybe even treating yourself to a small home gym with weights, a treadmill, or a cross trainer—you'll surely get back into your old training rhythm very quickly. But even then: talk to a trainer about your previous routine first, assess where you're at, and start with lighter weights. If you took off completely during those months, that applies even more! Work with your trainer first to see at what level you can re-enter. Take heart: if you train regularly from now on, you'll quickly get back to your old fitness level. Just give your muscles the chance to get used to different workout stimuli again.
The effects of Corona on our body
Many of us worked from home during the winter because high infection rates left no other choice. To make matters worse, laptops were often opened at workstations that were far from ideal: working on the couch or sitting at the kitchen table on a standard chair. Your core and back in particular are likely to have suffered.
Added to this is a striking lack of exercise. While people might previously have ridden their bike to the office for half an hour every day, half the nation was now sitting at home. Trapped between home office, homeschooling, kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom. Perhaps the daycare group was closed for a few weeks too because a Corona case appeared in the neighboring group, requiring all contacts to quarantine as a precaution. Anyone who didn't actively make sure to move back then definitely owes their body a duty of care now that rates are down and gyms are reopening. First, it's a matter of rebuilding a baseline of basic fitness. Focus on core stability, the hip flexor, and also the shoulder-neck-back area. The latter is likely to have been under particular strain in recent months due to semi-ergonomic home workstations.
A few tips on this:
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Always warm up yourself and your muscles well. Otherwise you risk sports injuries, micro-tears in muscles, or severe muscle soreness.
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Does your gym have a rooftop sauna? Fabulous—be sure to use it after your workout session to provide your muscles with a bit of relaxing heat and treat yourself and your body to a pleasant little break.
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Depending on your overall fitness level, it may make sense to start with less weight. It is best to discuss how much less with your trainer. Stick with it, and you will reach your former fitness level again.
Follow the Corona rules in your gym
Over the long months of forced closures, many studios tried to keep their members happy with alternative online training sessions. Nevertheless, many members also suffered financial losses and subsequently canceled their memberships. The gyms also had to somehow survive the dry spell, so out of pure necessity, many a 450-euro job was likely terminated. So be a little lenient if perhaps not everything runs so smoothly right now at the start of the reopenings. Studio owners are simply glad that things can get going again. Just like their members. Hygiene concepts were developed, and they are in constant contact with the public order office regarding local regulations. These actually vary slightly from state to state, or even from city to city.
Therefore, find out exactly what the current rules in your gym are. There will certainly be notices, signs, and stickers everywhere. Be fair and adhere to all social distancing and hygiene rules. This way, you can actively contribute to keeping your gym open so everyone can continuously enjoy the opportunity to finally train together again.
