Vacations, sickness, LIFE - for whatever reason, you somehow got out of your regular fitness routine, and now you’re ready to refocus and step back in.

But how you restart a routine matters, especially if you want to avoid getting injured, creating compensation patterns, getting burnt out… even finding yourself overwhelmed and wanting to give up.

On today’s podcast episode I’m revealing the biggest mistakes people make over and over again as they start in on a new routine and how you can ensure that you don’t do it that way.

Before you start a new routine, it’s so important that you listen to this episode first!

This month is nuts for my family.

We had a 4-day vacation on the first weekend of the month, then the following Thursday, we had our friends come stay with us for 4 days, now we have a little bit of a reprieve until my nieces and nephews come stay for two weeks, and we have lots of activities and outings planned with them.

Needless to say, a regular routine is just not happening right now.

When I’m in a rhythm with a routine, my perfect routine would look like this:

• Strength training workout on M, W, F - Do yoga on T, Th - Long walk every evening
• Homemade meals where I can be in control of what I’m eating - lots of PRO’s, healthy foods

But life is happening and expectations are having to be lowered. THAT’S OK! I know that I’m doing enough to maintain and stay healthy during this month.

And hopefully you are, too.

But now what?

But the big question is: once the mayhem wraps up, what is the smartest and safest way to ease back into a routine? How do you get back on track and kick things into gear?

Maybe it’s been just a few weeks that you’ve been out of your routine, or maybe it’s been a LONG time, and you feel like you’re starting from scratch.

• You feel unhealthy, a little lost, but also highly motivated - You’re “ready to do this!!”
• Being out of a routine and feeling the negative effects of that on your body and on your mental health is HIGHLY MOTIVATING. You’re ready to change everything!

But this is where the real problem lies. In this moment, where you’re highly motivated, I see people constantly making the same mistakes over and over again as they get back into a routine.

You have a guide!

As you buckle down, and plan to step back into a routine, I really want to make sure you’re not making these mistakes.

I want to show you how to be wise about re-entering your routine, so that you don’t overdo it (or underdo it!), and you don’t find yourself yo-yoing, once again.

Avoid These Common Mistakes!

Mistake #1: Going back to exactly what you were doing before

STORY: Let’s say you used to run every day and you had a regular route that was beautiful and had the perfect blend of flats, hills and downhills. You remember feeling like you really enjoyed that and you enjoyed the way you felt when you were running every day. So you decide that’s what you’re going to do again.

What are the dangers of this?

• Well, if you’ve only been out of your routine for one week or less, there are no real dangers. This isn’t a big deal. But that’s not what we’re talking about.
• If it’s been a few months or even years since you’ve followed that particular routine, there are several dangers here.
  • You could be overlooking problem spots on your body that really need your attention right now. Certain areas of your body may have become weakened and deconditioned, and they’re just not strong enough to do that old plan without putting you at a high risk for injuries.
  • Achilles tears are most common in weekend warriors that have been out of the game for a while, and decide to step in and play again, just like they used to.)
  • That program might NOT have been a good one!

Instead: Evaluate where your body is at RIGHT NOW, in this current season of life.

• Do you have any injuries that need to be addressed? Did you hurt your knee on that hike? Is your back suddenly feeling extra achy? Don’t ignore these things!!
• Where are your strength levels at right now?
• What are your practical constraints right now?
• Just because it’s familiar and you’ve done it before, does NOT mean it’s going to be the best routine for you right now or ever.

Mistake #2: Going too hard, too fast.

STORY: I was talking with friend not long ago. She’s 45 and is really recognizing the need to start strength training and lifting weights. So she decided to jump in and do it, but she’s basically going from doing nothing at all, to a program that has her weight lifting 5 days a week.

Ok, I have ANOTHER STORY: I saw a post on Instagram of someone who got back from vacation, drank way too much and ate too much unhealthy foods, so she felt bloated and gross. She then announced that she was going to cut out all sugar and junk for the next two weeks and drink green juices for breakfast and lunch everyday…and then she asked who wanted to join her in this two week challenge? And hundreds of women said YES.

I know you’ve seen thing all the time, but this is exactly what we’re trying to avoid here.

What are the dangers of this?

• Burnout and overwhelm
• Developing compensation patterns, possibly injury as a result - let me give you a quick example.
  • If you’re trying to push heavy weights overhead with your shoulders, but your core muscles aren’t strong right now and your shoulders are not strong right now, you will lean and arch backwards to get the weight overhead, putting your back at risk and possibly injury your neck and shoulders.

Instead: Avoid changing all the things at once, and have a growth mindset. Plan for progression with both your nutrition AND fitness.

• Start out slower than you think you should. In fact, cut your expectations in half at least. If you think you should be exercising for 30 minutes a day, then start with just 10 minutes. If you think you should be eating zero splurges, and right now you’re eating 5 a day, then aim for just 3 splurges a day.
• Starting slow doesn’t mean you’re going to stay there. By starting out slow, you actually will give yourself plenty of room to grown and improve.
• I recommend prioritizing just the routine of it, rather than the contents of your routine -
  • Do something everyday for 10-15 minutes
  • The best options are go for a walk, do some core strengthening exercises, do some posture correcting exercises (these ones instantly feel good)

Mistake #3: Trying to figure it out all by yourself, piecing together workouts and exercises randomly.

STORY: This is like going to the store and grabbing ALL of the fitness magazines, cutting out all of the exercises, especially the ones for the areas you want to work on, and ending up with a huge pile of advice.

What are the dangers of this?

• Ineffective - you might be wasting your time
• you could hurt yourself, and
• it’s extremely overwhelming.

Instead: Follow a professionally designed program, hire a coach or personal trainer

Moral of the story:

Be smart. If you’ve been out of a routine for a bit, and you’re ready to get back in, don’t just pull out an old routine you’ve done in the past, and don’t try to change everything at once. As tempting as it is, a major overhaul is the worst thing to do, you’re going to get in way over your head.

And that’s exactly what happens - especially this time of year as people are coming out of vacation mode.

But if you’re smart about it, you won’t burnout, you won’t hurt yourself, and you’re going to have the makings of a really great, sustainable routine that continues to build and blossom.

Proof of Transformation

• Story about Laura finally getting her first REAL push-ups after months of diligently strengthening her shoulders and her core. It finally happened, and she didn’t get hurt or frustrated along the way.

Your Big Takeaway

If I could just give you one thing to do, it would be to follow a professionally designed plan that follows these principles, meets you right where you’re at if you’ve been out of a routine for a while and don’t feel very fit and healthy, and has a coach to guide you along, telling you exactly what to do. My Jumpstart 30 course is the perfect place to start.

More Resources & Links

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