As the record temperatures (finally) begin to drop and junk boat season comes to a close, it’s never too early to start thinking about… well, next year’s rubbish boat time of year. Get your routine moving again with these exercise tips from Ultimate Performance gym manager Dhaval Dhruva.
Life has been tough for everyone since the particular coronavirus pandemic began. Hong Kong has seen some of the strictest, and longest, lockdowns in the world. Normal life was suspended, fitness goals put on hold plus healthy diets went out of the window for many people who were largely confined to their homes.
As a result, people’s health and wellbeing — both mentally and physically — may have suffered. Sound familiar?
As temperatures cool and gym memberships are getting some use again, many people are turning their attentions back towards getting in shape and focusing on health and fitness. If you’re one of them, I have put together six steps that you can take today in order to rebuild healthy habits, feel better and get ready to hit the ground running with your goals.
6 tips to get your workout routine back again on monitor:
1. Formulate a plan
Before your first session back in the gym, get in touch with your trainer to discuss any objectives you have in mind with regard to this new block associated with training. For example , do a person plan on booking a holiday later in the year? Do you have the special event, like a milestone birthday, that you would like to form up for?
Having a specific goal plus a target date or deadline to focus on is hugely important and will set you up much better regarding success than having a nebulous goal like “I want to lose some weight”. Instead, try to be as specific as you can along with your objective, for example:
- “I would like to lose 5kg over the following 10 weeks ready for my holiday”.
If you’re not sure how to go about setting the goal, trainers like we have here at Ultimate Overall performance will be able to help you formulate a SMART goal in order to help a person get the most out of your return to the fitness center. ( SMART stands for Specific , Measurable , Achievable , Realistic and within a Timeframe . ) This means setting realistic fitness and body targets that you can genuinely achieve inside a given time, rather compared to aiming for something completely unobtainable that will only set you up for failure. Make sure you can hit the particular ground running as soon as a person get through the door!
2. Get moving
If you haven’t had any access to training equipment during the particular lockdown plus have let your fitness slip, now may be a good time to start preparing for the return in order to the gym. Perhaps you’ve been struggling with motivation or you haven’t been getting outside to walk and increase your daily step count — which is such an underutilised fat loss tool — use this time to start gradually increasing your activity.
There are usually lots of popular hiking routes , such as The Peak, Dragon’s Back or even Sunset Peak, and for cycling enthusiasts, the particular Tai Po Waterfront or the New Territories Cycle Track Network are great routes in order to explore and get you in the saddle.
A good way to prevent the dreaded ‘DOMs‘ (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) from hitting back harder than ever when you first begin exercising again is to use this time to do mobility work plus stretching. You can also slowly build up with a few bodyweight training in the particular comfort of your own home.
3. Start tidying up your nutrition
The particular lockdowns have been tough upon all associated with us, and many people will certainly have indulged in a few more “cheat” foods and alcohol. If this particular sounds like you, the next few weeks are an opportunity in order to get ahead and start by doing a “reset”. Some easy wins you can start to implement include getting into a serving of protein at every meal, making sure half of every plate is filled with vegetables, striking a water target each day and prioritising healthy fats, such as nuts plus avocados. Building in these healthful habits right now will help you find right back in the swing of things.
4. Keep your eyes on the end goal
Time passes quickly! Don’t use a date within the distant future as an excuse to avoid making the changes you need in your life today. Every brand new day, week and month is a new opportunity to progress and inch closer to your own goal. This is the perfect time to begin planning your new post-lockdown routine and producing fitness a priority in your schedule.
5. De–stress
These past couple of years happen to be highly stressful for everyone and collective stress will be very real, even if it is subconscious. Returning to the particular gym means a new kind of stimulus on the body and, such as any new stimulus, that involves stress. It’s why it is more essential than ever before in order to prepare your mind and entire body for the new challenge by reducing your general day-to-day stress levels. A great place to start is to create a clear distinction between work and rest times. This might mean starting your own morning with a stretching program or going for a walk.
An evening routine is usually equally important, so try turning off the TV in order to read a book or take a bath, building time intended for meditation or even getting back to an old hobby. Getting healthy habits locked down now will mean you are more likely to make the most out of every gym session and obtain the very best return on your investment in get fit and healthy.
six. Get your sleep back again on track
Sleep offers been the major casualty of the on-off lockdowns to get many people. This time is the perfect opportunity to start getting back into a better routine while we continue our path towards normality.
Get into the habit associated with consistent sleep and wake times, lowering blue light exposure within the hours before bed and restricting consumption of things like wine and coffee. Not only will certainly your rest benefit, but you will also likely find your function productivity goes through the roof, too!
Dhaval Dhruva is the gym supervisor and senior personal instructor at Ultimate Efficiency Hong Kong Gym .
