It is Normal to Feel Uncomfortable

Have you started your new training routine for the year? That's right, it is time to settle down on the glasses of wine and beer that were all part of the festive new year break. Febuary is now here and it is time to get back into a weekly training routine.

If you have already started your training routine for 2010 I can pretty much guarantee that the day or even days after your first training session you felt sore and even quite tired.  Apart from the soreness the day after, during your training session you probably felt out of breath, quite a bit weaker and in general uncomfortable compared to before christmas.

Here is the good news though. This whole process is normal and something everyone has to go through after an extended break. It is in fact your bodies normal defensive and adaptive mechanisms working. 

Your body is very adaptive. If you consistently train with certain exercises then your body adapts quickly and accordingly. If you don't regularly complete certain exercises then your body diminishes in its capability to perform this exercise at an optimal level. 

Here is a good example. Last week I completed a small core-stability routine at home in front of the television one evening. Over the new year break I was active however didn't have the structured exercise routine that I would normally do for the majority of the year. I enjoyed walks, running with a double pram (which is a full-on workout!) and the occasional swim in the ocean.

So as I completed my little core-stability routine in front of the television, watching Roger Federer dominate the tennis, I was shaking heavily and could only complete half to two-thirds of the time I regularly hold positions for. Was I annoyed or disappointed? Not at all. I knew I hadn't practiced these exercises while on holiday, no big deal.

By now many of you may be thinking it's not good to lose your fitness over such a short period of time. Well here is the good news, it should only take 1-2 weeks before you start feeling comfortable again during training and regaining a similar level of fitness pre-Christmas. The best part is that the fitter you are the quicker you will bounce back to your pre-holiday fitness level. Just another great reason for staying fit and healthy.

My recommendation during your first two weeks of your training would be to exercise at an intensity level 70-80% of what you were completing before Christmas. Doing so will allow you to regain your fitness without the potential risk of injury or feeling sick, due to temporarily lower lactic acid tolerance.  Yes you will more than likely be sore after your first few sessions so completing stretches and mobility exercises the night after training or the next morning is a good idea.

The Final Word
Don't be discouraged if you are not yet feeling 100% during your training sessions. Within two weeks you will be back to the fitness level you were firing along at before Christmas. The fitter you are the quicker your body will regain its full fitness level. It is important to ease your way back into training to avoid injury.

Being uncomfortable is just part of the process.

Marc Stafford