5 Tips For Getting Back to a Regular Gym Routine

Everyone's been there. You took a few days off from the gym, you blink, and all of a sudden, it's been months since you've had a good sweat. You stopped wearing your fitness tracking device and your athletic gear is sitting stale in the back of your closet. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Even Channing Tatum loses his abs every once in a while! The important thing is to get back to the gym when you're ready and motivated. Give your fresh start with a boost with these five tips on getting back to the gym.

1. Reset Expectations

If you were going to the gym regularly before, you likely experienced some 'gains' or improvements in your physical performance. Perhaps you could run further or faster, lift heavier, or go harder in your fitness classes.

Well, after taking a break, don't expect that you'll be able to get back to this performance level right away. It's essential you reset expectations and don't start right back on your intense training. It will take some lead up to get back to where you were last. However, let this drive and motivate you. There's no question you can get back to where you were before and even exceed it!

2. Get Ample Rest

Both a rest day and adequate sleep are an essential part of a healthy exercise routine. Rest is necessary for muscle growth. When you exercise, microscopic tears occur in your muscle tissue. As you rest, fibroblast cells repair these mini-tears. This allows your muscle tissue to continue to heal and grow, which results in stronger muscles.

Aim for eight hours of sleep every night and include a rest day at least once a week.

3. Don't Forget About Diet

Your diet and nutrition are also essential aspects of your exercise routine. If your body doesn't receive the nutrients it needs, you won't have the energy for a great workout. Your body will also be unable to recover from workouts or build muscle.

Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, and protein every day. Help your body bounce back quickly with a recovery protein shake from Legacy. This flavorful whey protein powder not only helps with recovery but also:

• Helps diminish junk food cravings

• Boosts metabolism

• Helps to ensure adequate calorie intake

4. Set a Timeline and Goals

You've done this process before, so there's no fooling you. It will take time and effort to get back to your strong, thriving self at the gym. You need to find the balance of accepting that progress will take time but being motivated to see results.

Set a timeline for yourself with goals that you want to achieve. This can be a two-step process. Write up a weekly training schedule and include increases every week of how you'll push yourself further. Additionally, write up goals you want to achieve every week. These goals can be fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain, or other personal goals. Make them realistic and achievable but also goals that you'll have to work hard for.

5. Get An Accountability Partner

You probably have someone in your life that's fallen off the gym-routine too. Or, you have someone who is super dedicated to their fitness routine and it's inspiring to watch. Either way, the people in your life can help hold you accountable to your new goals.

Find an accountability partner that you trust. This person should be someone that you're comfortable with. They'll need to be able to call you out if they notice you're falling behind again. Having someone holding you accountable will help motivate you to get to the gym on those days when the self-motivation is simply not there.