EUGENE, Ore. If you are planning on getting back to the gym because many Oregon counties have capacity restrictions, experts say you should plan on getting back to your routine.
Oregon Medical Group’s medical assistant Laurel Stiedemann has found that many of her patients are preparing to resume their fitness routines after a pandemic hiatus.
“I’ve seen a lot of patients interested in losing their ‘COVID-19’ that we all started last year,” she said.
If your fitness program was interrupted in the past year, Stiedemann said that you shouldn’t expect to be able to go back to where you left off. If you are used to running a few miles, you should only run a few laps. Overwork can have negative health effects.
“Just because you’re falling behind where you were when the pandemic started a year ago doesn’t mean you can’t get there or find new goals,” she said.
Taking extra time to stretch or warm up before a workout can keep your body in good shape. However, be aware that you may not be as flexible as you were before the pandemic and avoid overstretching.
“Our bodies have changed. Our muscles and fat ratios and where all of this is distributed have moved. So if you move your body, it will probably move differently than before,” said Stiedemann.
According to Stiedemann, most people have a good idea of when they have pushed too far and when to stop. But more than ever it is important to know the difference.
When an exercise hurts a lot, makes you limp, or is in pain, it’s time to take a step back.
“Making sure we are paying attention to good pain means we are training our muscles and making them stronger, as opposed to bad pain that can be in joints and things like that,” she said.
