How to get back to training after a long break

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Getting back to training after a long break is always difficult. The body reluctantly and with a creak reacts to the load, groans and resists, and we try to fill up all the gaps at the very first workout, which finally prove to our body that returning to the gym is a bad idea. Today we are talking about how to resume classes correctly, gradually awakening sleeping mechanisms to life.;)

So you've decided to return to training after a long break. Now, in order not to break down and not give up this venture, you need a plan that will help you adapt physically and mentally!

Walter Thompson, an exercise therapy specialist at the University of Georgia, studied what happens to the body during a break and what to expect when you decide to start exercising again. The good news is that you can return to your previous level anyway and become stronger, faster and more enduring. The main thing is to do it right to avoid injury.

The termination of training or the use of loads that are not able to maintain the achieved level leads to deadaptation - a process that is the opposite of adaptation.

Deadaptation is a remarkable ability of the body to use the released resources in other systems of the body. That is, resources are taken from where they are no longer used, to where the building material is more needed.

How the break affected your fitness

During exercise, changes occur in many body systems. If we decide to stop, our body gradually returns to almost its original state. First of all, the amount of blood decreases, which usually increases if you exercise constantly. But this is far from the only indicator. For example, in runners, after only two weeks off, VO2 max drops and shortness of breath appears earlier than usual.

If you take students of a sports university and prescribe them a 9-day bed rest, the VO2 max will decrease by 21%, the heart rate will drop by 10%. 10 days of standard training is enough for these indicators to return to normal.

VO2 max measures the body's ability to absorb and metabolize oxygen. This indicator is fundamental in sports medicine. With its help, the capabilities of the athlete and the prospects for his progress are assessed.

Of course, if you are an athlete and have been playing sports for many years, even after a three month break, your physical condition will still be much better than that of the average person. But this still does not mean that you can reach new heights by simply getting off the couch and running a cross.

Your strength level does not drop that quickly. After a month, most of your skills will be retained. In a year, about half will remain. The new capillaries that have appeared in order to better supply your muscles with oxygen will stay with you, the heart will be strong, and the lung volume will be larger, and they will work more productively than in a person who did not play sports.

There are no formulas that would allow you to accurately calculate how much you lost and how long it will take to recover, but there is research on the basis of which you can estimate at least the big picture.

• If your break was several weeks, your respiratory and cardiovascular systems will lose a few points, while your strength will remain unchanged.
• If the break was a year, but before that you were in good physical shape, cardio loads will be given to you by 15% more difficult, power characteristics will drop by at least half.
• If your break was measured in yearsyou will most likely have to start from scratch. But you will make progress faster than people who did not play sports at all.

The new training plan will depend on why you quit and what happened to your body during this time.

If you have to interrupt due to injury, you must be sure that you have fully recovered. Therefore, you must definitely visit a doctor. A physical therapist will be able to tell you about the general condition of your muscles, point out imbalances and identify weaknesses.

If a break was taken due to the appearance of a child in the family or a busy work schedule (you gave all the time to a new project), you need to understand how you can find time for adequate sleep and nutrition so that psychological and physical problems do not arise in the future.

Recovery rate

If your break was only a few weeks (holidays or vacations), just a couple of light workouts will be enough to recover, and you will be in shape again.

But what if you haven't practiced for a year or more? If you've been to the gym, Thompson recommends that you start by taking on half or a third of the weight you took a year ago, and then try your standard pounds a few weeks later. Recovery usually takes 1–2 months.

For sports that require endurance (running, cycling, triathlon, etc.), the intensity will also need to be lowered. In this case, Thompson advises starting with long walks, then moving to interval jogging with walking breaks or jogging at a very slow pace. Distance in this case does not matter.

If after two months you have not returned to your previous form, then you need to revise the training program, or even better - find a good coach who will compose it for you, relying on your physical condition and capabilities.

What to do if you have to take another break

Many things happen in life, and we cannot guarantee that we will never take such a long break again. The main rule is not to give up physical activity completely. Let it be walking or light workouts for 10-15 minutes a day, but they should definitely be on your schedule!

Fortunately, you can now find videos of a huge number of short workouts, both strength and interval. And if you can arrange for yourself such mini-workouts, then it will be much easier for you to return to your previous physical form. And psychological adaptation will be easier than if you completely give up sports.

With training in the amount of 25-30% of the previous one, you will be able to maintain your shape for two to three months.

On average, the adaptation time after reduced physical activity (you left and you did not have the opportunity to exercise fully) is 2 weeks.