Cut yourself some slack when returning to the gym.
Trainers say it’s important to give yourself grace when returning to the gym
Personal trainer Mandy Trichell understands what it’s like to head back to the gym. “A lot of people haven’t been exercising,” she said. “If they did, they had to adapt. And that includes me.”
Before quarantine, the Heights resident went to kickboxing classes four times a week and also did circuit training three to four times a week. “All of those places closed,” Trichell said. “So, I started exercising while teaching my virtual classes, and that kept me in shape.”
She has been working virtually since mid-March. About half of her clients wanted to go back to the physical gym, and the rest wanted to continue online for a while. But weeks or months away from a routine means that many Houstonians won’t be able to pick up right where they left off. And you know what? That’s OK, according to Trichell and other local trainers.
Randy Oakes, a personal trainer at Life Time City Centre Houston, said that some clients are nervous about returning to the gym after neglecting fitness routines.
“A lot of people have been really sedentary and have lost muscle or the endurance they once had,” he explained. “Other people were at home, stressed out and eating comfort foods, which are high in sugar and salt and can lead to weight gain.”
Oakes hopes that won’t stop gymgoers from hitting the restart button.
“Let’s all take a step back,” he said. “We can start at a slower pace and gradually get you back.”
Trichell’s first day back was June 1. Like the excited clients ready to return to their routines, she, too, had to remember to pace herself and ease into working out.
Clients might take a couple of months to get back to their “normal” routines. “Do half the amount of reps or go half the amount of time,” she said.
The good news, Trichell said, is that muscle has memory — and that getting back in shape is possible. It just takes time.
“A lot of people have a ‘go hard or go home’ attitude.” Not Trichell. Instead, she tells clients, “Start low and go slow.”
In time, they can build up strength and endurance. “Allow your body to acclimate,” Trichell said. “That’s kind of where we all are right now.”
Trichell compared falling off the fitness wagon to getting a flat tire. “That doesn’t mean you pull over and slash all your tires,” she said.
You just fix the flat and keep going. John Ding, founder of Kinitro Fitness, added that it’s important to acknowledge that most people didn’t stop going to the gym by choice.
“It’s not like you chose to stay home or chose not to work out,” he said. “It’s important not to blame yourself. It’s not productive.”
Instead, Ding tells clients to remember the progress they already made.
“There’s a lot of things that they’ve learned,” he said. “Now they have a chance to do it a second time around. You don’t have to see what works for you, because you already know. You understand what you’re capable of.”
And he said to focus on the present. “You were able to do it before, you will get it back,” he said. “It’s frustrating, it’s irritating, but it’s part of the process.”
Learning how to continue working out, even when an obstacle arises, is an important part of building the mental strength that Ding said is essential to physical strength.
“Appreciate the effort that you’re putting in,” he said. “People try to plan 20 steps ahead. It’s better to just plan out tomorrow.”
There are all kinds of reasons that a fitness routine may slow or stall completely. Sometimes, Ding explained, social media’s focus on perfection can feel daunting.
“No one posts their failures,” he reminds clients.
Trichell agreed that social media can be discouraging. “We have to remember that people are much more likely to post their accomplishments than what they didn’t do,” she said.
Feeling depressed or anxious can also be a major barrier to exercise, Oakes explained.
“You don’t want to get down, because you’ve added a few pounds,” he said. “That just spirals.”
Instead, Oakes suggests keeping a nutrition journal to help stick to a healthy diet. He also tells clients to log daily exercises on a calendar, to make it easier to monitor progress.
“You’ll get on a roll and develop that pattern of exercise,” he said.
If returning to the gym doesn’t feel safe, Oakes recommends continuing with virtual classes. Life Time is offering free online courses to members and nonmembers.
The company also recently launched a website about healthy living called “The Source,” at thesource.lifetime.life.
“It’s a new world we’re living in, and we just have to adapt to it and do the best we can,” Oakes said.
Striving for a personal best is key, Trichell said. “Don’t look around at everyone else at the gym,” she said. “Be really kind to yourself.”
Trichell also recommended continuing livestream classes if the gym doesn’t yet feel safe. But for those who will return to brick-and-mortar locations, she advised patience. “The owners, trainers and staff are adjusting to a whole new reality, too. If you notice something isn’t right, let them know. Give them the opportunity to fix what’s wrong, because they really want to.”