Adib Noor
We have been through three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, that’s close to two years of time wasted on what used to be my goal of getting back into the gym.
The restrictions took a toll on everyone, especially on our bodies. Now with the restrictions being pulled back, slowly but surely there is finally hope to get back to square one and finally push to that goal.
It’s not going to be easy, and I know that personally. Just shy of three years ago, I was in my best physical shape. Earlier this month I finally had enough and restarted my journey. Here are some simple tips which I personally found helpful.
MINDSET
The mind is a powerful thing. With it comes the energy you need to get up and do something – whether it’s a 20-minute workout or a 10-minute walk around your neighbourhood.
There’s a reason why Nike’s popular slogan is “Just do it”. The worst thing you can do is sit down and only think about doing something. So it’s best to just get up and do it!
Familiarity
Getting back in to shape is easier if you already have a previous routine or something fitness related which you like to do.
For example, if futsal is your thing, find time to get friends to come together for more games during the week to boost up your cardio.
If you used to run, make time after or before work for a short run at your favourite spot. Run at your own pace until you know you are back at the level you were before.
For me, it’s powerlifting, starting with five reps and five sets of the light-weighted squats, bench presses and deadlifts to get back into form and rebuild the muscles needed before moving on to heavier and more intense programmes.
Familiarity goes a long way, as you get back into the groove it will feel like you never left.
SET A GOAL
It’s important to set a goal for what you wish to achieve. Look back at old photos and videos of your previous fitness achievements. This helps motivate you as well as reassurance that you can do it, as you did it before.
Working without goals is like driving without purpose, and without any urgency you will tend to fall off and have to start it all over again.
A deep dive in to YouTube fitness videos or looking up your favourite athletes or fitness idols is a great way to start. It gives you a picture of what you want to achieve and it’s more than likely they will have words of motivation and even tips to share that you can follow, which will help make it closer for you to reach you goals.
DIET
The greatest myth of all in fitness is that all the work is done at the gym. The truth is most of the work is done in the kitchen or, to put it simply, your diet.
This is what many fail to understand, as it is easy to think that you can reward yourself with your favourite snack after an intense workout. Think about it this way: you are putting back the fat that you’ve been working so hard to burn off, defeating the purpose of why you are working out in the first place.
Again, this is where the beauty of the Internet comes in. The trick is to find a diet that suits your lifestyle or simply your taste. A friend once told me the best diet is the diet that you can keep up with. A crash diet is definitely not the way to go as you will end up gaining back double what you’ve lost.
For me, the basic rule of thumb is a high protein diet for muscle building, increasing my intake of vegetables for the much-needed nutrients and a small portion of rice if I intend to lose weight. And of course, cut out unnecessary sugar intake anyway you can. So it’s best to drink water.
Lastly is to try to eat three to four meals a day. Your body tends to store fat if you only eat one meal a day as it is conditioning itself to store food instead of efficiently burning it. By actively exercising and eating regularly three to four times a day, your body will learn to make use of your food intake more efficiently, increasing your metabolism and burning excess instead of storing food as fat in your body.
Of course, all of this is easier said than done. You have to ask yourself whether you really want it and work for it. If you fail, you can try to start again. The important thing is to start, it’s better than not doing anything. Wish me luck and good luck to all of us – we can do this!
