Spring Into Spring ™

Dr Edmund Bruce-Gardner

​As we start to think about spring and the coming days of barbecues and sunshine, we might also be thinking about picking up some of those old exercise routines that have fallen by the wayside in the dark, winter months.

Here are a few pointers for getting back into your stride:

​To remind us why we are going through this (again), focus on the memory of how good your body feels when you use it!  Workouts are – and should be – difficult in the moment (consider the name, for a clue!), but you should always feel bloody brilliant afterwards (thank you, neurotransmitter soup!).  Remember that post-workout high, and how much easier your day to day tasks are with a strong and capable body.

​Remember: you can’t start training at the same intensity at which you stopped. Muscles have lost their conditioning, and the joints and ligaments will be a bit creaky after a season of disuse.  If you are not part of a club that has a scheduled pre-season training program, make sure you ease back into things a little bit.  

​A good rule of thumb is not to increase your training load by more than ten percent in one increment.  It is also a good idea, in the case of strength training, resist the urge to ‘push it’. Keep a few reps in reserve, at least, at the beginning (I actually do this habitually to reduce my chance of injury, even though it impacts Da Gainz slightly). It will reduce your post-workout soreness (the Dreaded DOMS), risk of injuring weakened muscles, and also help to maintain consistency. 

​Obviously, this has to be applied intelligently; if you are currently doing nothing, ten percent of nothing is… …well, nothing!  So don’t give yourself a congratulatory pat on the back for hitting your goals yet; but do set reasonable targets.

​On the topic of targets and goals, try and make sure they are ‘SMART’ (I have to confess, I normally dislike these acronym-type things, as there is always an element of ‘we came up with the acronym first then forced the headers to fit! But this one raises some interesting points):

​Specific: Don’t use vague targets like “get fit” as they are essentially impossible to ‘complete’.  This can lead to easier discouragement.

​Measurable: if you set a specific target like “lose 5kg” or “run a half-marathon”, you can actually measure your progress towards that goal. “Look, I can get 5cm closer to touching my toes”. “I have lost 1.2kg over six weeks”. “I can run 5km in 21 minutes”. Being able to measure our progress like this encourages us to continue with our regimen.

​Attainable: Of course, if we aim too high, we are also likely to get discouraged, and possibly give up. Make sure your goals are realistic, and achievable.  If you feel less than 90% confident (say) that you can meet your goal, consider breaking it down into more manageable chunks. Instead of aiming to lose 15kgs overall, aim for 2 in a month, for example. Always consider your circumstances and level of fitness when deciding on appropriate and attainable goals. Try to stretch yourself a little, but not too much.  (The “Goldilocks Principle” – those who know me will recognise this phrase, it is applicable in many areas of body work).

​Relevant:  Related to this, try and formulate goals that are consistent with your abilities/fitness, and also with your interests and needs. If you find running a bit like a hamster pounding away pointlessly at a wheel, I would suggest you don’t decide on training for a marathon as your goal. If you hate the water, don’t choose swimming. Etc.

​Time-Bound: This is tied-in with point one, Specificity. Vague goals like “lose weight” or “get fit” don’t have an end date (and are difficult to measure, and therefore hard to ‘attain’). By choosing a timeline to meet your goal, you can come up with concrete milestones, which aid in measurement and in attainability.

​Some other points for Springing Into Spring ™ :

​In this interim period, when it’s getting light earlier, but still not hitting the higher temperatures that summer will bring, remember that you will not feel as thirsty as you will in a few months’ time, but you will still be getting dehydrated. Drink plenty of water!

​Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve had an unplanned break from your training. There always are, and always will be, factors that interfere with our plans, and complicate our lives. Just take this opportunity to get a good regime going again. The key to most regimes is consistency. This is also the hardest thing about them!

​Stay active even on your days off.  While the temptation is to veg on the sofa on your off days – which will probably be exacerbated by the groanings of your muscles, unaccustomed to the exercise – you’ll actually fare better if you do some (very light) exercise on your day off. Remember! Movement is medicine. 

​Doing some gentle mobilisation or stretching, or just going for a walk (dog optional), will help speed up your recovery time and also help maintain the habit of moving, which will help greatly with the consistency of your routine.

​<insert relevant motivational quote here!>