TIPS AND TRICKS

Haven’t Worked Out in a While? Start with a 60% Effort 
Skipping a workout now and then is no big deal. But there are times when you might have missed more than you were planning. It happens. But when you do get back into it, don’t pick up where you left off or you’ll get injured, says Shaun Jenkins, senior trainer manager at Tone House in New York City. “Scale back to a week in your program that would have been 60 to 65 percent max,” he says. “If you got up to 100 pounds on a certain machine, swipe back to where you were doing at 60 pounds and use that as your benchmark to restart.” 

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind about getting back into the swing of things.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Two Quick Ways to Get Your Energy Back
Feeling a bit sluggish? We feel you. Here’s how to get some pep back in your step.

1. Take a Hike (Around the Block)
Even 20 minutes a day of low-intensity exercise resulted in a 65 percent decrease in fatigue level among young adults, according to a study in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Researchers found it to be particularly effective for people already fighting fatigue since low-intensity exercise doesn’t put the body under any additional stress. 

2. Time Yourself
Our best and most efficient work tends to be done when the clock is ticking. This relates to your energy level in two ways: First, assigning every task you do a time limit naturally gets your adrenaline going, snapping you out of your sluggish state.
Second, forcing yourself to complete your to-do’s in a set number of minutes keeps your day from spilling over into your night, and giving you back some free time to unwind with the family.

Here are 13 more ways to get your energy levels back on track.