Your Questions Answered: How Do I Start Working Out Again?

Here’s a situation many people recognize:

You get into a solid gym groove for a while, and then life shifts.

Maybe you welcome a child, change careers, relocate, or take on caregiving responsibilities.

Workouts taper off—and eventually disappear.

Before you know it, a couple of years have gone by.

Then you notice you’re not feeling your best and decide it’s time to return to training.

So how do you begin again?

Start Slow and Rebuild Your Rhythm

If you’ve exercised before but aren’t active right now, here’s the good news: Your body remembers more than you think.

Sure, you’ll need to put in effort to regain your previous fitness level, but you aren’t starting from scratch. Your muscles and cardiovascular system will wake up faster than you expect, even if things feel a bit dusty at first.

You might need a short “relearning” period, but your movement patterns will come back. As you reintroduce activity, your strength and endurance will climb, and the rust will shake off quickly.

With that in mind, the smartest approach is to begin gently and set aside old expectations while you build momentum.

For example, maybe you once could knock out 15 push-ups or sit-ups in a set. If that number feels out of reach right now, don’t sweat it. Do what you can, celebrate the effort, and show up for the next session.

Instead of dwelling on what you used to do, focus on what you will do. Look for small wins in every workout—they add up. It may even help to track this new phase separately so you can mark your progress and stay encouraged.

It’s also important not to come out of the gate at full speed, even if you’re excited. Going too hard too soon can leave you extremely sore, which might derail your enthusiasm.

So skip your old routines—those were for a different season. Start with an easy session that simply elevates your heart rate and gets you moving. Keep duration short and resistance light. When you’re done, give yourself credit and prioritize good food and solid sleep.

If you feel just a little achy the next day, perfect—that means you hit the right dose. Gradually increase intensity, weights, and volume over the coming days, weeks, and months, and plan regular rest days after every two or three workouts so you can recover properly.

Follow this framework and you’ll avoid the kind of soreness that makes you dread the gym. Instead, you’ll look forward to each session.

The Best Possible Plan

Those tips will absolutely help if you’re starting solo—but there’s an even easier route: Chat with me!

I’d love to help you get moving again.

I'd love to hear about your past workout experience, your current fitness level, and your goals. From there, I’ll create a personalized plan designed to help you return to training safely and effectively. You’ll also be able to ask about anything—nutrition, recovery strategies, supplements and more.

If you’re feeling unsure about how to begin, send an email or DM and let me take the planning off your plate.

I can remove all the uncertainty and help you move confidently toward your health and fitness goals—fast.