How to Get Back Into Exercise After a Long Break (Without Making Your Life Miserable)

So, you've decided it's time to start exercising again.

Maybe you used to train regularly, and life just got in the way. Maybe you've been telling yourself you'll start this Monday for the last six months, or perhaps you've reached that point where getting off the sofa makes noises you don't remember making ten years ago.

Whatever the reason, you're ready to do something about it.

The problem is, getting started again can feel surprisingly difficult.

You remember what you used to be capable of, you probably have a pretty good idea of what you should be doing, and you've already imagined yourself training four times a week, eating perfectly, and becoming an entirely new person by Christmas.

I've been a Personal Trainer for years, and I've seen this happen more times than I can count.

I've also done it myself.

The good news is that you don't need a complete lifestyle overhaul to get back into exercise. In fact, trying to change everything at once is often where things start going wrong.

Here are five things I'd suggest.

1. Forget what you used to do

This is a big one, particularly if you've trained before.

You remember being able to run 10K, lift a certain weight or train five days a week without giving it much thought.

So naturally, that's where you want to start again, but unfortunately, your body might have other ideas.

If you haven't exercised for six months, jumping straight back into your old routine is a bit like finding your first car in a garage and expecting it to perform exactly as it did 20 years ago... although, knowing some of the cars I've owned, that's probably not the best example.

The point is, start where you are now.

If you can realistically manage two 30-minute workouts each week, brilliant... do that.

You don't need to train six days a week to make progress, and you certainly don't need to spend the next three days walking down the stairs sideways because you went a bit mad on leg day.

Give yourself something manageable to build on because you can always do more later.

2. Find something you actually enjoy

I know this sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people force themselves to do exercise they absolutely hate.

Running seems to be a popular one. Someone decides they need to get fit, so they start running, despite having spent the previous 30 years avoiding it wherever possible.

Two weeks later, the running shoes are gathering dust, and they've decided exercise isn't for them.

But exercise doesn't have to mean running.

You could lift weights, swim, cycle, walk, dance, play tennis or do any number of other activities.

What matters is finding something that suits your goals and that you're reasonably happy to keep doing.

I've worked with people who were genuinely terrified of walking into a gym, particularly the weights area.

A few weeks later, they're confidently using equipment they'd never have gone near before and getting excited about lifting heavier weights.

Sometimes people don't dislike exercise... they dislike feeling uncomfortable, inexperienced or unsure of what they're doing.

Once that changes, exercise can become something they actually look forward to.

And if you try something and hate it, try something else; life's too short to spend it doing burpees voluntarily.

3. Stop planning your workouts around an imaginary version of your life

You know the version of yourself I'm talking about.

The one who gets up at 5am, drinks three litres of water, prepares all their meals on Sunday and somehow has an hour spare every day to exercise.

Lovely idea but unfortunately, the real version of you has a job, a family, responsibilities, a washing machine that seems to be permanently running and occasionally just wants to sit down.

This is where a lot of exercise plans fall apart.

People create routines based on how they'd like their week to look, rather than how it actually looks.

So before deciding you're going to train four times a week, have a proper look at your schedule.

When do you genuinely have time?

When are you likely to have enough energy?

What usually gets in the way?

If you know you're exhausted after work, scheduling five evening gym sessions probably isn't the greatest idea.

And have a backup plan.

If you can't manage your usual workout, could you do something shorter? Could you move it to another day?

I've had clients who make excellent progress training twice a week because that's what they can consistently manage.

A realistic plan you follow is far more useful than an impressive one that exists purely in your head.

4. Motivation is great. Until it disappears.

When you first decide to get fit, motivation is usually pretty high.

You've bought some new gym clothes, downloaded an app, perhaps even invested in one of those enormous water bottles that looks like it belongs on a building site.

You're ready... and then Wednesday arrives.

It's raining, you've had a rubbish day at work, you're tired, and the thought of going to the gym is about as appealing as a trip to the dentist.

Suddenly, that motivation has disappeared, and that's completely normal.

One of the biggest things I've learned from coaching people is that motivation isn't something you can rely on being there all the time.

Rather than trying to magically become a more disciplined person, make it easier for yourself to exercise.

Pack your gym bag the night before. Have a plan so you're not wandering around the gym wondering what to do. Arrange to train with someone. Choose a time that works for you.

And if you're regularly missing workouts, get curious about why.

Maybe you're doing too much.

Maybe the time you've chosen doesn't work.

Maybe you don't feel confident enough in the gym.

Or maybe you're just bored of what you're doing.

There's usually a reason, and understanding that reason is far more useful than telling yourself you're lazy.

I've worked with plenty of people who thought they had a motivation problem when, actually, they had a plan that didn't suit them.

5. You're going to miss workouts. Get over it.

I mean that in the nicest possible way.

At some point, you're going to miss a workout.

You might get ill. The kids might need something. Work might be a nightmare. You might go on holiday and spend a week doing very little beyond locating the nearest bakery.

That's life.

But here's where people often make things unnecessarily difficult.

You miss Monday's workout, then Wednesday's, and by Friday, you've decided the whole week is ruined.

So you tell yourself you'll start next Monday again... except next Monday turns into the Monday after that, and suddenly three months have passed.

Sound familiar?

One missed workout doesn't undo all your progress, nor does a week off... what matters is what you do afterwards.

If you've missed a few sessions, just get going again. You don't need to punish yourself with an extra-hard workout or start some ridiculous new regime to make up for it.

And if you keep falling out of your routine, have a look at why.

Perhaps your plan needs changing. Perhaps your expectations are too high. Perhaps you've got more going on in your life than you're giving yourself credit for.

The goal isn't to become someone who never misses a workout... it's to become someone who can miss one without turning it into six months.

How long does it take to get back into an exercise routine?

People often want a definite answer to this.

Three weeks? Six weeks? Twenty-one days until exercise magically becomes a habit?

Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite like that. How quickly you settle into a routine depends on all sorts of things, including your previous experience, fitness, confidence, lifestyle and what you're actually trying to do.

If you've been inactive for a long time, you might need to build things up gradually. The same applies if you're returning after an injury or illness, where getting appropriate advice may be important.

But I wouldn't get too caught up in how long it's going to take, instead, focus on the next few weeks.

Can you find a couple of opportunities to exercise?

Can you make those sessions manageable?

Can you repeat them without feeling like your entire life now revolves around the gym?

If you can, you're making a good start, and as you get fitter, stronger and more confident, you can build from there.

One final thing...

If there's one thing I'd like you to take away from this, it's that struggling to stick to exercise doesn't automatically mean you're lazy, unmotivated or lacking discipline.

Sometimes you're trying to follow a routine that was never going to work for you in the first place.

I've spent years helping people figure this stuff out, and it's rarely as simple as handing someone a workout plan and telling them to get on with it.

People have jobs, families, injuries, worries, preferences and about a thousand other things competing for their attention.

A good exercise programme needs to take those things into account, and when something isn't working, you change it... not necessarily the goal, just how you're going about reaching it.

Need a hand getting started again?

I'm Ben, a Personal Trainer and Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist based in Hinckley.

I offer face-to-face personal training in Hinckley and 1:1 online coaching, where I build your training around your goals, keep an eye on your progress and help you work through whatever's getting in the way.

If you're struggling to get started, or you're fed up with constantly starting over, feel free to get in touch.

You can find out more about my online coaching or send me a message, and we can have a chat about what you're looking to achieve.

No pressure, and I promise not to make you do burpees.