Movement & wellbeing

Back Into Routine: How to Get Moving Again After the Summer Holidays

The summer holidays have a habit of turning our normal routines upside down.

Later nights, days out, holidays, childcare, changes to working patterns and simply having more going on can all mean that the usual gym sessions, runs, classes or regular exercise take a bit of a back seat.

Then September starts approaching. The children head back to school, work routines begin to feel more normal again and suddenly there is a little more structure to the week.

For many people, it feels like the perfect opportunity for a fresh start.

If exercise has slipped down the priority list over the summer, you might be tempted to jump straight back in where you left off. But getting back into routine does not have to mean going from zero to one hundred.

1. Don’t try to make up for the summer

September can bring a sudden burst of motivation.

New routine. New goals. Back to the gym. Healthy eating. Earlier nights. Five workouts a week.

Sound familiar?

While motivation is useful, trying to change everything at once can quickly become difficult to maintain.

If you have been less active than usual over the summer, start a little easier than you think you need to.

You might:

• reduce the weight you usually lift
• shorten your first few runs or walks
• complete fewer sets or repetitions
• choose a slightly lower intensity class
• allow an extra recovery day between sessions

You are not starting again from scratch. Think of those first few weeks as giving your body time to get used to your normal activity levels again.

2. Build a routine that actually fits your life

One of the biggest mistakes we can make when trying to get back into exercise is planning around the routine we wish we had rather than the one we actually have.

Once September arrives, diaries can fill up quickly. There are school runs, work, children’s clubs, appointments and everything else that somehow finds its way into the week.

So rather than deciding that you should exercise five days a week, look at what is genuinely realistic.

Two or three sessions that consistently fit around your life can be far more useful than an ambitious plan that lasts ten days.

Walking, running, swimming, gym sessions, exercise classes, sport and home workouts can all form part of an active routine. The aim is to find something you can keep doing.

If you would prefer some structure and support while rebuilding your fitness, you can also find out more about personal training at Pro-Form.

3. Build activity back up gradually

Once you start feeling comfortable exercising regularly again, you can begin gradually increasing what you are doing.

Try changing one thing at a time.

If you are running, for example, you might increase your distance before trying to increase your speed. If you are strength training, you might increase the weight before adding additional sets.

Increasing several things at once can place a much bigger demand on your body and can also make it harder to work out what has caused a problem if discomfort develops.

4. Give recovery a little room

Getting back into routine is not just about the exercise itself. Recovery matters too.

Your body needs time to respond to the increased activity you are asking it to do, particularly if your routine has been quieter for a few weeks.

Think about:

• getting enough sleep
• staying hydrated
• eating regularly
• allowing recovery between harder sessions
• using gentle movement on quieter days

And remember that a workout does not need to leave you completely exhausted to have been worthwhile. Consistency is usually much more useful than repeatedly pushing yourself too hard and then needing several days to recover.

If what you are mainly noticing is muscular tightness or post-training soreness rather than an injury, you may also want to read about sports massage or our guide to sports massage vs physiotherapy.

5. Pay attention to what your body is telling you

A little stiffness or muscle soreness when you start exercising regularly again is not unusual. What matters is how those symptoms behave.

You may want to pay closer attention if you experience:

• sharp or increasing pain
• noticeable swelling
• reduced movement
• weakness that is not improving
• pain that keeps returning whenever you exercise
• symptoms that begin interfering with your normal activities

If something feels different from normal post-exercise soreness, or a problem is getting worse rather than improving, it is worth listening to that.

6. Don’t keep ignoring the same niggle

This is particularly important if you are returning to exercise and an old problem starts making an appearance again.

Perhaps your knee begins aching every time you start running. Your shoulder starts bothering you once you return to the gym. Or your back settles while you are less active but becomes uncomfortable again as soon as your activity increases.

It can be tempting to simply stop for a few weeks, wait for it to settle and then try again.

But if the same problem keeps returning, it may be worth finding out why.

A physiotherapy assessment can look at your symptoms, movement, strength and current activity to help identify what may be contributing to the problem.

From there, your physiotherapist can help you put together a plan based around what you actually want to get back to doing.

7. Remember that a fresh start does not need to be dramatic

There is something about September that naturally feels like a reset.

After weeks of summer routines, getting back to structure can feel good. But that does not mean you need to overhaul everything overnight.

Start with something manageable.

A couple of walks. Your first gym session back. A short run. Returning to your usual class. Doing the rehabilitation exercises you have been meaning to restart.

Small steps count. Once those steps become part of your routine again, you can build from there.

What kind of support might be useful?

The right option depends on what is actually stopping you. You do not need to diagnose yourself before asking for help.

Still not sure what you need? Start here or get in touch with the team.

Visit Pro-Form Physio & Fitness

We offer physiotherapy and related services from our Bexleyheath and Blackheath clinics.

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Important: This article provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. If you have a medical condition, significant recent injury or concerns about beginning exercise, seek appropriate healthcare advice.