Gyms and fitness studios are getting ready to open on the 25^th of July, but are we ready to go back? What will the new gym experience look like? And what can we do to prepare for it? This article give some tips that will help you ease back into gym training safely.

Each one of us experienced a significant change in our training style and regimen in the last few months. There have been a lot more bodyweight workouts, lower weights, resistance bands, online classes and more cardio/HIIT training that usual. How do we know if our body is ready to get back to heavier lifting at the gym and how do we get back into it safely? We want to help you and have put together a list of things that will support you on your way back into gym training.

Start with Lower Resistance (Load): Start with a lower resistance and build your strength back up gradually. Putting too much stress on your muscles and joints will cause fatigue and can lead to injuries, which will then stop you from going back to the gym again for a while. Take it easy and start slowly.

Do Mobility Exercises Prior to Each Session: Mobility is very important for joint movement, and it is recommended to do it before every session anyways, and this advice is even more relevant now. Warming up your joints and increasing their range of motion through weight-bearing (no added weight) exercises will allow you to prepare for heavier lifts and reduce risk of unwanted injury. 

Rest and Recover: Sleep, nutrition, meditation, stretching or anything else that helps your muscles recover from a workout you should be doing now. The best way to ensure that you are doing something to help your recovery is to make a habit out of it. You should create an environment where it is easy to do the recovery activity and commit to adhere to doing it regularly.

Get a Personal Trainer to Help You Back In: A personal trainer can help you get back into training, with a knowledgeable approach, so that you avoid injuries and build your strength back up slowly and sustainably. In addition, you can learn new skills, improve your lifting technique and progress towards a goal with the supervision of a professional. Choose PT’s that are qualified with at least a Level 3 certificate, and make sure they understand your goals well and work together with you to achieve them.

Going back into gyms can create slightly more dangerous environments in regards to Covid-19, if we do not comply to the rules set out by gyms and do not adhere to social distancing measures. Respecting both, ourselves and others, is essential to prevent a second wave and keep us all safe and healthy. Clean equipment after yourself, keep at least 1 m distance, don’t push or queue in close proximity when entering studios classes or near the gym entrances. Lastly, if you have enough equipment and are able to do some of your workouts at home, then don’t go every day, leave space for others, who can’t workout at home.