Life has a way of playing all sorts of games, and we’ve all been playing one of them together over the past few months—learning to live differently with the gyms closed! In this game, we spent quite a bit of time on the… ’bench«! But now it’s time to step onto the field and play with vigor, returning to normalcy in all areas—including our training!

Certainly, for those who were already working out and had access to equipment, getting back into training will be easier, but for those who exercised moderately or not at all, I have the following tips to help you avoid injuries and keep muscle soreness and stiffness manageable.

Set goals (realistic ones!)

Whatever we set out to do in life, we need to have the right goal! A realistic goal! In a month, I’m sorry to say this, but you won’t be as slim as you dream of being…And even if it happens through unnatural means, it won’t last, because your body has simply gotten used to living a different way over the past… (how old are you?) years, and it will soon revert to what it’s accustomed to. So, Set small, realistic goals that will help you ease back into things and feel good.

Want to melt away the fat with cardio? Not by struggling, but the smart way!

You’ve been sitting around for so long or haven’t been doing much cardio because of the quarantine, and you’ve even heard somewhere that the only way to lose weight is by running lots of kilometers and spending hours doing cardio…It doesn’t take much to book a session at the gym and start running for an hour as if you’re trying to catch the bus! And that’s how overexertion creeps in… by going overboard!

Start the first week with brisk walking or moderate-intensity cycling and elliptical training for 15–20 minutes or, if you’re a bit more advanced, go for a light jog and do the same at the end of your workout. During the second week of your return to training, you can increase the intensity a little and add some interval training. (e.g., 2–3 minutes of jogging – 2 minutes of walking) for 20–25 minutes. In the third week, you can increase the intensity and duration of your workout a little more and, in this way, ’build up’ your aerobic capacity without overexerting yourself.

Get defined abs and a six-pack… right now! (I won't even mention yesterday!)

I know it’s summer—these past few months have taken their toll on us. Your swimsuit feels a little tight, or your body feels a little looser, and you want to see your muscles start to show right away! You know…and when we have a sore throat, we want the pain to go away in a day, but we don’t take the whole bottle of cough syrup at once to get better! The same goes for our muscles… they need time and our care.

Whether you worked out a little during quarantine or not, the new experiences you’ll have during your first few workouts at the gym are special: different equipment, different workout times, and so on.

Start with basic full-body exercises using a few sets, reps, and weight for the first week; in the second week, add a few more sets and reps, in the third week, add a little more weight, and so on.

Don't expect to lift the same weights or do the same number of reps as you did two months ago. We aren’t even the same people we were yesterday; we’re constantly changing, and the time it takes for our bodies to adapt to exercise (muscles, tendons, joints, nervous system) depends on time, age, activity level, and even our mental state. Be patient as you work toward your goal, and give your body time to adjust.

Relax and stretch!

Now, you're going to tell me … all this time we've been relaxing and stretching out from the couch to the bed!

And I'll tell you… it's not what you think!!!

Just because you’re starting an intense training regimen doesn’t mean you should overdo it…training every day, all day long, to make up for lost time. Create a training plan that includes at least two rest days so your body can recover, process the training stimuli you’ve given it, and have time to recover to avoid injury.

Also, spend a little extra time stretching so your body gains flexibility and can work more easily and comfortably during your next workout.