Most of us were once beginners at the gym, new to fitness and in need of a guidance. But you might need an even softer start after a setback like illness, injury or other health challenge.
Whether you’re returning from a major surgery, an illness, or simply find yourself very unfit after years of weight gain, there are plenty of benefits to be gained from exercise. And there are some very good reasons for you to take it slow and exercise with care.
Here are some common concerns to watch out for, and a list of ideas for gentle starts at the gym:
Fatigue: If you’re finding that you fatigue easily, you want to be able to control the level of exertion you experience while exercising – the intensity, speed and duration will all be a factor. This is where starting small with “baby steps” comes into play.
Weakness: If you haven’t been exercising for a while (or ever), then you’ve likely lost strength in your muscles. It might make sense to move right into strength training to get it back, but you’ll need to be careful with how much resistance you expect to handle.
Pain & Stiffness: Weight gain, aging, disease, lack of mobility…. all of these can cause pain and/or stiffness in your joints. It’s best if you don’t put a lot of pressure on your joints or your spine with high-impact movements. And, if you can’t get up and down from the floor with relative ease, stick with seated and standing exercise. in short, listen to your body.
Breathing & Heart Rate: If you find yourself breathing heavy or know that your heart feels like it’s going to pound out of your chest if you push yourself, you might look to gentle aerobic conditioning as well as breath control during exercise.
Imbalances: If you’ve been injured, chances are you’ve compensated your body mechanics as a result. This can cause physical imbalance including weakness, tightness, lack of coordination or other symptoms. Other causes of imbalances are weight gain, arthritic joints, even scar tissue. The key to gentle starts here is to find control and avoid (re)injury.