If you took a break from working out during the holidays or you're moving less during the pandemic, you are not alone.
But after taking a long break, don't expect to be able to move at the same level you once did.
"I think that there were a lot of reasons as the pandemic has moved along, whether it was fear of being in public places, or potential concerns about not knowing if they had COVID, and not wanting to get involved with any long-term complications of exercise. And so those were some of the reasons but honestly, there's been the same old reasons, which is, 'well, I just got a little bit lacks on my discipline, and other things came up, and I got too busy and now it's been a while since I've worked out,'" said orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Dr. John Christoforetti at Texas Health Allen and at Texas Health Orthopedic Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice.
His first tip is to see your regular doctor before jumping back into fitness.
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"Primary care physicians definitely have a good list of questions, and some good screening tests that they do to make sure that we're perfectly physically capable of going ahead back out onto the workout arena and getting started," said Christoforetti.
Another tip is to determine your baseline level of fitness. Basic tests can help you “benchmark” your current level of fitness: climbing stairs, plank position and body weight.
Finally, he says consider why you got off track, to begin with.
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"If it's been due to another injury, or it's been due to an illness, there could be residual effects of those injuries or illnesses that make us wonder, exactly the right way to embark on going to more of a supernormal or a hyper fit state," said Christoforetti. "If it's really just been more life and discipline and things that have come up that have prevented that exercise, we could expect our bodies to be in a more of a healthy position, when we get started, without much further testing."
