So You Decided To Go Back To The Gym...Let me help.

For adults that are ready to go back to the gym or start a work out routine, let me give you some tips on your return to get fit. If you have not been actively working out for a number of years, you need to recognize or become aware that your body goes through changes. Tendons, muscles, ligaments and bone need time to get reacclimated to the increase energy and stress that comes with fitness routines. You may have done 60 minute high impact interval training (HIIT) or lifted heavy weight to start your workouts when you were in your twenties and thirties without warming up; but if you try returning to these same fitness routines you did when your younger, you are going to get injured. Your body becomes stiff and rigid after years of not working out and thus you need to revive your body to handle the work and increased load when working out. To avoid injuries that will sideline your weeks to months, I highly recommend that you don't start working out again with your exercise routines that you did years ago. So on your first days back, don't go to the gym and load heavy weights as your warm up, don't go to that high impact interval classes and don't just start running a mile or more. What you need to do is start with a good stretching and warm up routine that will open your body from feet to head. There are lots of easy routines that one can do to accomplish this. There are many good routines that on easily accessible on-line. Start with getting the range of motion opening in all your joints, muscles and ligaments. This can be accomplished with just stretching using your body weight, resistant bands or light weights. This stretching routine needs to be done three times a week for 10-15 minutes. If you need help or like guided instruction, there are Yoga and Pilate classes that specialize in this and greatly helpful. It takes a good three to six months for your body to return and get acclimated to working out again, before it is ready to really start working out. And don't forget to stretch at the end of your workout.  Lactic acid build up can hurt!