Getting back to the gym after a long break, and not quitting three weeks later
, 3 min read
You haven't set foot in the gym for months, or years. One day you decide to go back and, that very day, it feels heavier than ever. In a thread on the Spanish forum Forocoches titled "Pereza terrible para volver al gimnasio" ("terrible laziness about going back to the gym"), someone put it like this: "After almost two years of not going, I'd planned to sign up this morning, but (...) I really can't be bothered".
Getting back to the gym after a long break has two hard moments. The first is walking through the door. The second comes a few weeks later, when the excitement has gone and nothing feels new any more. This plan is built for both: start with less than you think and decide from day one when you'll go.
Why going back to the gym is harder than starting
When you start from scratch, you have nothing to compare yourself with. When you go back, you do: you remember what you used to lift and how long you used to last, and today you can't get there. That's more discouraging than the effort itself.
The other mistake is trying to make up for lost time in a week. You go five days in a row, end up so sore it takes days to go back, and that pause gets longer.
Start with less than you think
Spain's Ministry of Health puts it this way in its physical activity recommendations for adults: "When a person does not meet the recommendations, it is advisable to increase their level of activity little by little".
In practice: few days, short sessions and weights that feel easy. You should leave feeling you could have done more. If you have an injury or a health problem, ask a professional first.
A plan for the first four weeks
An example, not a prescription. Adjust it to you:
| Week | Days | What you're aiming for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Go, and leave with energy to spare |
| 2 | 2 | The same days, at the same time |
| 3 | 3 | Add a day once the excitement has faded |
| 4 | 3 | Raise the weight a little if all is going well |
Week 3 is the one that matters. It's not new any more, and it's easy to tell yourself "not this week, next week". That's why it helps to have your days decided before you start.
Decide the days and time before day one
"Get back to the gym" can always be put off. "Tuesday and Thursday at 19:00, straight after work" shows up in your calendar, and you notice when you don't do it. Whether you're going back in September or in January, put the first week in your calendar on the day you sign up, not "once you're organised".
If going back is a New Year's resolution, how to keep your New Year's resolutions has the full method.
Make skipping in week 3 cost something
In week 3 it helps to have something on the line for every session: €5 you only lose if you're not at the gym at 19:00 on Thursday.
How we do it at Ultimatum
With Ultimatum, the app we're building, every session of your comeback has a day, a time and a small guarantee you choose. You prove it with a photo taken at the gym at that moment: if you go, you get your money back, and if the photo check is unsure, a person reviews it and nothing is charged automatically. It isn't out yet, but you can already join the beta.