HOW TO GET BACK ON TRACK
Focus on the Basics:
Rest: Resistance training breaks down the muscles creating microscopic tears. When you rest you allow your body time to heal and adapt to become stronger. Creating a good sleep schedule will also improve your performance and emotional wellbeing
Nutrition: Learn how to fuel your body properly & without cutting out your favourite foods. You deserve to eat even if you haven’t moved all day. You don’t need to earn/burn food.
Hydration: Not drinking enough water will make you feel more sluggish, can cause headaches, impair digestion and brain functioning. The NHS Healthy Eating Guidelines suggest drinking at least 6-8 glasses (1.2-1.5litres) of water a day.
Stress Reduction: Chronic (long term) stress is a risk factor in a number of health effects and cause negative changes in your mood (making you angry, anxious, depressed etc). Address the causes of your stress and regularly engage in more self-care activities that serve your mental health.
Take it Slow:
A study published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine (2015) found that take a 2 week break from physical activity can cause substantial reduction in both muscle mass and strength. So, trying to jump straight back into your old routine is likely to result in injury. Making small adjustments to your habits/routine over time will not only be safer and more sustainable, but prevent you becoming drained and giving up.
Plan:
Even if you’re not a fan of meal prep, planning your meals will help you to ensure that you buy all the foods that you need and reduce your consumption of convenience foods (e.g. snacks, takeaways). Create a routine and schedule your workouts to make your goals a priority.
Find what works for you:
Whether that involves setting a goal that you care about and using your reasons ‘why’ as a motivator, thinking about how good you’ll feel after, or if you need be accountable to a friend and the social aspect to make it fun. We are much more likely to do things if we have a reason to and if we find them enjoyable.
Most importantly, remember not to beat yourself up for taking a break -aim to be consistent but allow yourself to be imperfect.