Back in the Game: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Back to Training After Time Off
It can be really hard getting back into the swing of things after taking some time off.
Whether it’s due to illness, injury, or some downtime during the holidays, most of us find it hard to get back into a regular workout routine after an extended break. It doesn’t matter if you’re training for a triathlon, hoping to run a 5K, or simply get back in the gym, there can be feelings of frustration due to lost fitness, lack of motivation, and confusion about where to start.
A friend of mine is experiencing some of these feelings.
She wants to run a local 5K that’s in 5 weeks. She’s done several 5K races in the past, but has taken some time off from running. She has experience with this distance and plans to use a run-walk strategy, so this is a very doable goal.
But she’s having trouble getting started.
Work is busy, her sleep habits aren’t great, and she’s struggling to get back into a routine that prioritizes health and fitness.
Some people might say:
“Just get out there and push through it!”
“You’ll be back to where you were in no time!”
“Just do it!”
While well-meaning, these “poster phrases” don’t work for most people. If it was easy to “Just do it!” then you would’ve just done it, and wouldn’t be reading this post right now. The key to getting back to a consistent workout schedule isn’t waiting for motivation to strike, or for the timing and conditions to be perfect. The key is to start small, set realistic expectations, and focus on building consistency.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll discuss:
Myth-busting bad advice
5-step process to get back into training, the right way
*Triple Threat Life Club members receive access to a video training: “The Comeback Plan” where we discuss the most common mistakes people make, a simple 4-step comeback plan, and the one mindset shift that will change everything.
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Myth-busting Bad Advice
There’s plenty of well-meaning, but impractical (or just bad) advice out there concerning how to get back into training after taking a break.
Here’s some examples, along with why they don’t work, and what to do instead.
🚫 Bad Advice #1: "Just get out there and push through it!"
Why it’s bad: This advice ignores the reality that your fitness level is not where it was before you took time off. Jumping back into training at the same level and intensity you were at prior to taking a break is a surefire way to get frustrated, or worse, injured. Also, there’s often a mental barrier to forming new workout habits that this advice simply disregards.
✅ Better advice: Start small, short, and easy. Be realistic in your expectations. Give yourself time to develop consistency before you start worrying about performance.
🚫 Bad Advice #2: "You’ll be back to where you were in no time!"
Why it’s bad: This might sound encouraging, but it sets an unrealistic expectation. You can’t expect to immediately be at the same level you were before illness, injury, or taking time off. This process takes time. If you start out with unrealistic expectations, and don’t see the times or results you want, you might feel discouraged and give up.
✅ Better advice: Progress isn’t about getting back to your peak overnight. Look to build a solid foundation before assessing performance. Focus on where you are now and take small steps forward towards where you want to go.
🚫 Bad Advice #3: "You need to make up for lost time."
Why it’s bad: Trying to cram in extra workouts to make up for lost time typically leads to overtraining, exhaustion, and burnout.
✅ Better advice: You can’t fast-track fitness, but you can rebuild and get back to where you were, or even better, by following a structured plan that prioritizes consistency first, before adding volume and intensity. But it takes time.
🚫 Bad Advice #4: "No pain, no gain!"
Why it’s bad: Pain is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. While some discomfort is normal, pushing through actual pain (especially when you’re coming back from a break) is a good way to get injured.
✅ Better advice: Pay attention to how your body feels. Soreness, fatigue, and some discomfort is okay. Sharp, persistent, or lingering pain is not.
🚫 Bad Advice #5: "Just sign up for a race, and you’ll be motivated!"
Why it’s bad: Races can be a great motivator. In fact, it’s how many triathletes operate. They don’t start training until they sign up for a race.
But this can become a problem when you commit to a big event too soon, or you don’t have a realistic timeline. The added pressure makes you feel like you need to panic train and often causes you to push beyond what your body is currently capable of. That’s not a formula for consistency, sustainability, or improvement. It’s a destructive cycle of (sign up for race- panic train- finish race- stop training entirely- repeat).
✅ Better advice: If signing up for a race gives you motivation, be sure to select an event that provides enough time for you to build up training volume and intensity, in the right way.
🚫 Bad Advice #6: "You don’t need a plan, just go with how you feel!"
Why it’s bad: Without a plan, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing too much on days when you feel good and nothing on days when you feel bad. This leads to inconsistency. Also, with this approach, you’re not training, just exercising. (There’s a difference. Stay tuned for a future post on this topic).
✅ Better advice: Even a simple plan, like doing a 10-20 minute run 3 times a week will make a huge difference in consistency and help you develop the ability to stick to a regular workout regime.
🚫 Bad Advice #7: "Motivation is everything!"
Why it’s bad: What does this even mean? If you’re waiting to feel motivated to train, you might be waiting forever. Motivation comes after action, not before.
✅ Better advice: Build habits to set yourself up for success. Lay out your gear the night before, schedule workouts in your calendar like appointments, and use the “just 10 minutes” rule to get started even when you don’t feel like it that day.
The Right Way to Get Back into Training after a Break
Now that we’ve discussed the bad advice and what NOT to do, let’s look at the right way to get back into training after taking time off.
Step 1: Check Your Gear and Physical Readiness
For example, my friend A, hasn’t been running in a while, so she probably needs a new pair of shoes. If you’re planning to ride your bike outdoors again after a winter spent on the trainer, get a bike tune-up first and assess the condition of your tires. If it’s been a really long time, you might need to replace the tubes inside, because they can dry rot.
If you’re coming back from injury or illness, make sure that your body is in a place where you can start training. This might involve visiting the doctor for a check-up, doing physical therapy, or incorporating daily mobility exercises to prepare your body to workout again.
Step 2: Have Realistic Expectations
Depending on the amount of time you took off, you probably aren’t going to start right back where you left off. That’s ok. You will need to accept that it might feel harder at first, but by staying consistent, progress will come quickly.
When Matt returned to training after a cycling injury, it was very frustrating for him to see that his fitness level wasn’t where it once was. You feel like all of your hard work and time spent training was a waste, because it’s gone.
That’s not necessarily true. Your past fitness isn’t gone. It’s just dormant.
Remember, my friend A? One mental barrier she’s facing is that she wants the same or better 5K time that she’s run in the past. But you can’t think about that when you haven’t even started running again yet.
The fastest path to frustration is measuring today’s fitness against your peak performance. Instead of focusing on where you were, focus on where you are now and where you’re going.
Step 3: Sneaky Ways to Set Yourself Up for Success
Back to my friend, A. Her work schedule is pretty busy, so the only time she has to run is at 4 am or 8 pm. Sometimes, it feels like you have to prioritize sleep or training. It’s definitely a challenge to fit work, family life, and training into a busy lifestyle, but the truth is that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. You get to choose what you do with yours.
Some tips for making this process more manageable include scheduling workouts in your calendar like appointments. Your physical health deserves just as much priority as your work life, social life, family life, ect.
If you have a hard time getting going in the morning (that’s me!) lay out your workout gear the night before, pick an outfit, and set out your shoes. When your alarm goes off, it’s much harder to hit snooze and skip a workout, because you will have wasted the time you spent preparing.
Step 4: Commit to the Plan and Enlist Help
If getting back into training is something that’s really important to you, then you need to make it a priority in your life. Expect that you will encounter obstacles and know that the process won’t always be easy. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice for the greater good. That might mean committing to going to bed earlier, or cutting out TV or social media time, in order to get in that 20-minute run.
If you’re a social person and that interaction provides motivation, consider joining a local running group, or take a group class at the gym. Having accountability partners makes the process more fun, and you’re less likely to cancel if you know people are expecting you to show up.
If you have kids, make it a family affair. If you have a short run, your husband can push the baby in a stroller while your older child rides next to you on a bike. Run around the park while your kids are playing. Get in some laps while your kids are taking swim lessons. Set up a playpen or kids’ station next to your bike trainer or in your home gym so they can do their own “workout” with you.
If you ever feel guilty for time spent away from family or work for training, remember the “airplane mask” approach. In order to be fully present, invested, and able to take care of others in your life, you must take care of yourself first.
Step 5: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize and Celebrate Progress
Chances are, there’s a reason why you want to get back into training. Maybe you want to lose weight, gain fitness, or participate in a race. It’s important to keep your goal at the forefront of your mind. Having a visual reminder is a great tool. One tip is to write out your goal on a piece of paper with 3 daily habits that will help you achieve it. Put this note in a place where you will see it every day, like on your bathroom mirror or fridge.
For example, my friend A’s note might look like this:
Goal- Run 5K at Springtime 3/29
Run 2-3 times a week
Set out workout gear the night before
Get to bed by 9:30-10:00 pm
Keep in mind that getting started is the hardest part. Sometimes, I don’t feel like doing a workout in the morning when I’m all warm and cozy in bed. But if you can commit to just starting, after about 10 minutes, it’s very likely that your outlook will completely change.
Also, give yourself credit for showing up and celebrate small victories. It doesn’t have to look perfect, and you probably won’t stick to your schedule right away. But by committing to being consistent, and tracking your progress, you will see both your physical fitness and life change in the most wonderful way. .
If you want to dive a bit deeper into this topic, Triple Threat Life Club members receive access to a video training session with me- “The Comeback Plan” where we discuss:
Most common mistakes people make when getting back into training
A simple 4-step comeback plan
The one mindset shift that changes everything.
Sign up for the Triple Threat Life Club to get access to this bonus content.