Getting Back to Exercise Without Feeling Wrecked

Has it been a while since you've worked out, but you have a newly found motivation to get going? Are you diving into a fitness program only to be so sore afterward that it does not feel like it was worth it? Getting back into exercise after the crazy year we had is a great thing, but it needs to be approached in the right way to make sure it is sustainable for you. Key Takeaways If You Want To Get Back into Exercise Without Feeling Wrecked, You Should:  Commit to a daily movement practice rather than a super intense workout that hurts your body for the rest of the week Modulate both the intensity of your workout and the volume to meet yourself where you are at Take care of your tissues and allow for proper recovery to avoid getting hurt Ditch The ‘All or Nothing’ Mentality When getting back into movement and working out, the first step is to get rid of the ‘all or nothing’ mindset that fitness culture has ingrained in us. Instead of going so hard once a week that you have to ‘toilet trust fall’ for the rest of the week, focusing on a daily movement practice is a much more sustainable and enjoyable way to ease yourself back into exercise. Your body needs support when getting back into movement, which is why you need to integrate taking care of yourself into your daily routine. If you are ready to get reacquainted with a daily commitment to move your body, however, that looks and feels for you, a sustainable approach is the best way to honor your body's signals. Start Where You Are Now We are coming out of a whole year of the world being flipped upside down. The amount of stress you have been under, your daily routine, and your sleep can all affect how ready your body is to get active again. The high-intensity workouts that you may have done in the past might not suit your body's current needs.  It is essential that you modulate your intensity and volume of workouts and listen to the signals your body is sending you to properly heal your tissues and address the issues you are feeling. By listening to your body and taking the time to properly recover, you can get active again without wrecking yourself so that you can be more consistent, enjoy the benefits of your workout, and have fun while still challenging yourself. Physical activity can be a fun, challenging, and positive experience if you approach it the right way. By shifting your mindset away from the ‘all or nothing’ mentality, modulating your intensity and volume, and focusing on your tissue recovery through nutrition and awareness, you can harness your good intentions and get active again. Are you ready to take your motivation to get active again and implement it in a safe, healthy, and fun way? Share what your daily movement commitment is with me in the comments section on the episode page.   In This Episode Why you should focus on a daily commitment to move your body rather than ‘going hard’ (7:44) The importance of modulating your intensity and volume when getting back into movement (11:01) How to take care of your tissues and think about your recovery as you start to move more (17:12) What to think about when listening to your bodies signals in order to get more active again (21:58) Resources and recommendations to help you get active again and meet yourself where you are at (23:20)   Quotes “I want you to start thinking about movement being more of a daily commitment instead of a once-a-week smash fest which then you can't move for the next five days and your body is so painfully sore that every step you take feels super painful.” (9:02) “We have been taught by fitness culture in general that if it is not intensity level 10, that it was no good and we got no benefit from it. Which is absolutely not true.” (12:10) “You need to think about what is leading up to me getting more active again and are there things I should probably deal with with my body?” (21:08) “What I am seeing a lot in the community is still an under-eating situation. It's like an under-eating, under-recovery situation, and that is not going to help with your recovery.” (28:29) “Recovery is a part of the process, and if you are coming out of a period of less activity, it might be something you need to think a little bit more about.” (30:06)   Featured on the Show Food Freedom Mini-Course Join the CORE 4 Program Waitlist Doc Jen Fit Website The Ready State Website Rom Wod Website Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes!   Related Episodes LTYB 319: Why Fitspo Needs To Die LTYB 129: How Mobility Can Help You Unlock Your Inner Power with Jen Esquer LTYB 055: How to Stand for Better Health Kelly & Juliet Starrett