Corey Stokes

As you can see from my fitness calendar, the month of February was not a great month for working out. Although I think injury is a good reason to fall off the wagon so to speak, the remainder of my year will hinge on the actions I take next.

During my first race of the year, I sustained an injury that has kept me from working out like I wanted to .  After lots of rest however, my body is itching to hit the ground running.

In order to not become overwhelmed however, it is not recommended that you simply jump back into your workouts.  Here are three steps to either start or get back into any workout routine.

1.  Start slow.  If you try to pick up where you left off, you may cause injury.  By starting slow, you allow your body a chance to get use to the activity again.   This includes running slower, lifting less weight, or even going a shorter distance.  You don’t want to experience burn out before you get started.  So take it easy.
2. Get an accountability partner.  Even if you are like me and enjoy running on your own, having a partner that you engage with regarding your workouts will help to motivate you to continue.  When someone else is holding you accountable for taking an action, it is more of a priority to get it done.
3.  Change up the venue.  For me, running outside provides a continuously different experience. There is always something new to see, depending on the time of day I go.  But occasionally running on the treadmill, although I’m participating in the same workout, gives me a different experience.  So I don’t get bored!  Something else to try is to change your route, change your playlist, change your shoes, or alternate workouts.

BOTTOM LINE, take it easy for the first week or two!    Take each workout one workout at a time, start slow and, build up to speed and distance or weight (when lifting). Every successful work out you complete, makes the next workout more likely to happen.