Procrastination is something that most of you do. Leave things for another time and postpone homework for when we feel like it more. And no, you never want more. This will have happened to you when hanging a painting, folding clothes or playing sports again. We know how difficult it is to get back to exercising after a long break.
Luckily, there are a few moves that can make your return to training a little simpler. The last thing you want to do is speed through the gym on your first day back. At best, you will end up very sore, and at worst, you may end up injured.
The best exercises to resume training
Squat with body weight
Extend your arms in front of you and slowly bend your knees as you push your hips back to squat down. Concentrate on lowering your body as if you were going to sit in a chair.
Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can while maintaining good technique. Your knees should be on your toes and your gaze should be straight ahead.
Pause for a moment at the bottom of your squat. On an exhale, reverse the movement by pressing down with your heels to get back on your feet. While standing, lower your arms to the sides.
Squats with your own weight are a widely recommended exercise to strengthen your glutes, quads, and hamstrings . But along with the benefits of increasing muscle, squats can help improve t us daily movement patterns, whether you get up from a chair or something lame the ground.
With no added weight, this move also puts less pressure on your muscles and joints , making it a solid exercise if you haven't moved in a while.
Griddle
Lie face down on the floor, with your forearms on the floor, your elbows directly below your shoulders. Spread your legs back, with your toes tucked in. With your core tight, press your toes and forearms and lift your body off the ground. Keep your back flat and your body in a straight line from head to hips and heels.
Your core encompasses all the muscles that stabilize and support your back, including your abs. Therefore, developing a strong core is crucial for your daily movement, exercising without injury, and maintaining proper posture.
Planks are a great way to train core and shoulder stability. By placing the upper body in a loaded weight-bearing position, we are also training shoulder stability, which will help decrease the risk of injury during upper body exercises.
Romanian barbell deadlift
Place an unloaded barbell on the ground in front of you. Raise the bar, shins almost against it, feet firmly apart at the hips. Keep your spine straight, your chest up, and your shoulders back and down.
Hinge from the hips and soften the knees as your hips sink just enough to grip the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Engage all of your core muscles to maintain this position while pushing your feet toward the ground, as if you are trying to push the ground away from you, and lift the bar. Lift your chest and activate your lats to stabilize the bar in front of your hips.
Pushing your hips as far back as possible, bend your knees slightly and lower the bar to just below knee height. As you exhale, strengthen your core and push your hips forward to get back on your feet.
Although you don't want to start with a loaded bar on your first day of training, a Romanian barbell-only or dumbbell deadlift is another move we recommend after an exercise break. The Romanian deadlift will help improve both strength and flexibility, which is important if you're getting back to exercising.
Gluteal and hamstring strength is always important as you increase your workouts, but the Romanian deadlift has the added benefit of increasing the flexibility and mobility of the hamstrings.
Chest supported dumbbell row
Start by adjusting an exercise bench at an angle of about 45 degrees. Lean against the bench, looking back with a dumbbell in each hand. With your legs extended, drag your heels to the floor and support your weight on your torso against the bench. Extend your arms toward the ground along the sides of the bench. As you exhale, row the weights towards your chest. Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower the weights with control toward the ground.
A strong and stable back will help keep you injury free during upper and lower body workouts. And this variation of the dumbbell rowing supports your chest, allowing you to focus on your back, not your balance, as you perform the exercise.
Lateral forearm plank
Begin by lying on your side, supported by the lower part of your forearm. Your elbow should be directly below your shoulder to avoid putting too much pressure on the joint. Your legs should be extended out with your feet stacked on top of each other. Lift your hips off the ground. Make sure your hips are square forward. Keep your body as straight as possible from the heels to the hips and the head. Hold this position for as long as you can with good technique.
Although better known as a core strengthening exercise, the side planks are also a way to strengthen the hip abductors (your gluteus medius) using your own body weight. Holding a side board technically places your weight on the sides of your glute, forcing that muscle to really work to stabilize you.
Gluteus medius strength is important for hip stability during any standing exercise, including squats, lunges, and running. If you're looking to get back to regular strength training or running, side planks are an important accessory move to build a solid foundation and avoid injury.
