We are dynamic species. However, most of the time, when we age, our active lifestyle also tends to slow down. This may be because of progressive responsibilities that will accompany our maturity and growth as an individual.

Maybe, earlier in our lives, we are vigorous, free-flowing, and energetic, feeling the youthful vibe. Coinciding with this, we as well grow, in terms of maturity and wisdom. Hence, we may tend to forget our aesthetic values in lieu of a more pressing task that will benefit not just ourselves but the people who surround us.

Consequently, we have the tendency to get fat, stout, sedentary, and worse, obese. Seeing your pictures in the past will make you sigh! How does this happen? You may ask. It transpires, though, since you voluntarily occasion it to be.

Now, you’ve been thinking of the recovery process. Since you have looked back and, after weighing all the things that may affect your objective in engaging again in a fitness journey, you instantly feel the urge of getting back in shape.

Here, this may somehow provide you with some helpful perspective, if not an absolute fitness guidance.

Getting Back in Shape

Getting in shape can sometimes seem impossible if not a bit daunting. A lot of us are having difficulty to get back in an optimum shape.

For us to be able to overcome this difficulty, self-awareness is the key. Ask you self, why you took your hiatus in the first place?

What could possibly have derailed your previous routine?  Whether you get burned out or you just lost your motivation are important things to know to avoid it from happening again.  Self-awareness is the first step to help you get back into shape.

What happens when you start working out?

They say, exercise is like a magic pill which excites your brain because when you start working out your body changes your physique, or even you outlook in fitness, thereby, having that mental and emotional ability and stability.

These obvious changes can easily be seen through naked eye. The benefits when you start working out again, or as a beginner, aren’t just on your external aspect. Most people who worked out observes that they become happier, more motivated, and less depressed.

This is why exercise has been described as the miracle drug, and has been recommended as a treatment for depression, insomnia, and other mental related health issues, let alone correcting and enhancing your physical fitness.

This reason is that your body, when you work out, naturally produces several hormones, and each of these hormones helps reduce stress levels, lift someone’s mood, and aids to get a better sleep.

Although physical effects of exercise may not be observed within a few weeks of physical fitness activities, slight changes are starting to show.

Finding your motivation

Motivation, as defined by many, is simply the force or passion which drives your behavior. It is the ability to steer and push oneself, in order to take initiative in pursuing one’s goals and completing a certain tasks. In other words, it is the grit that pushes us to our limit.

Now, how does it relate to getting back into shape?  The thing about working out is that you have to want it for yourself. Finding the motivation will help you recover, thus, regaining that toned-body you once have.  

Too often people focus on the common motivators like the pros of doing it. As we all know, everyone struggles to find the energy to get stuff done and that’s basically normal.

Most of the time we feel like we rather stay in bed or do literally nothing. This may be the perceived idea. Everyone has gone through the same from time to time.

Overcoming procrastination can be made by making your goals easier to achieve. Just try to start small and be consistent.  Break down large goals into small steps and manage your expectations to prevent disappointment.

When you don’t see progress as you expected, you get frustrated and start doubting yourself. Such frustration coupled with obstacles will shift your attention towards giving up. Do not be like that; refocus your self, your goals, and your perspective.

Setup your goal

Before you set up your goal, you should take a step back and figure out what is it that you really want, Know and be mindful of your plans and objectives.

Taking a step backward will help you to identify the problems. You will, then, become aware of the things that you want to change. In setting up your goal, the same must be specific, realistic, attainable, relevant, and timely.

Figure out a workout routine and begin with what works for you. If you feel comfortable of committing to one day a week initially then do it as you please. Do not force your self. Yet, you have to be concentrated on your purpose and objective.

Corollarily, it is important to keep in mind that you have to take it slow because people tend to overdo things and end up getting injured since the body is not prepared for such extraneous activity.

Create your work out plan

One of the first steps before diving back into your fitness regimen is to have a detailed plan and an attainable pattern and goal. 

Exercise program varies based on your age, lifestyle, and more. Hence, there is no single routine that fits all. You must assess your lifestyle, your body, your mind, and your mood. After that, you may be able to create a personalized program that will be consistent and adaptable for you.

Having an effective, constant, and consistent workout program is extremely important towards achieving your fitness goals.

People fails to realize that you can’t just have a goal and unilaterally expect to achieve it.  A person who doesn’t have a clear and detailed plan is bound to fail. This will probably lead to just wasting his time and effort.

Now, since it has been a while that you last stepped into the gym, you’ll definitely want to start small. Doing too much too soon can hurt and overwhelm you.

A rigorous routine is definitely too much to deal with, which, in turn, will make you feel frustrated and disappointed, to say the least. You have to understand that you’re not going to be as fit as you were in a short period of time, and that’s just okay and normal.

Also, you have to see to it that you plan your workout ahead of time and focus on consistency. When you’re rebooting your old ways, you need to build structures that will fit your capacity.

No matter what you’re trying to achieve, working with consistency and focus will make no harm; rather, it will be a great charm.

Find a workout buddy

A workout buddy could be that person which can be a key motivator. Having that kind of person beside you will be a great advantage pursuant to your goals.

Together, you can keep each other motivated, excited, and accountable. While several individuals will like a solo fitness routine to stay focus, others enjoy working out with a partner.

This is because a workout buddy helps you to stay motivated and targeted during a workout phase, hence, boosting your overall performance.

A workout buddy provides a powerful combination of support and motivation. They play the role of teammate, co-coach, and cheerleader.

With a fitness buddy or partner beside you will, somehow, create a competition that can be extremely helpful when someone needs a push to perform an extra mile. They also give each other an emotional support and celebrate milestones together.

Workout partners give a sense of reliability and help transform the gym into a more desirable atmosphere.  Imbibing fresh new idea and learning new things are another advantage of having a buddy in the gym.

According to studies, with an exercise partner, the same helps you to stick and stay committed with your objective and purpose. It can inspire you to keep going and get even better.

Give yourself a break

Lastly, an important point to remember is to give your self a break. Recovery, as we all know, is part of being active, after all we all deserve to have some rest. As active as we can get, we must recognized and respect our body’s recovery process.

A lot of us fail to realize that when you take a day off, our body isn’t. Thus, it is imperative that we give ourselves a break.

Our body works hard to repair and replenish itself after massive influx of activities that we have embarked on in a day. Therefore, it is a must to give it a precious time to recover.

Many experts suggest that rest is needed for our muscles to repair themselves and prevent injury. Ask any physician and they will tell you that rest is but an important component of our body to rebuild and recharge itself adequately.

With sufficient and adequate rest, the same will also boost our immune system, restores, and energizes our system within.

Similarly, resting will help you to manage your weight and achieved your ideal body mass index. Rest days are just as important as exercise, as it gives our body time to heal.

A successful fitness regimen isn’t complete without cooling off days. Consequently, taking regular breaks will benefit our body.