How to Get Back Into Working Out After a Break

To get back into working out, start at about half of what you used to do: two or three sessions a week of 20 to 30 minutes at an easy to moderate effort, booked at fixed times. Add a little every week or two, and give yourself four to six weeks to rebuild a routine before judging how it is going.

Most people who stall after a break do it the same way: they restart at their old level, get sore or hurt, miss a week, and decide they have failed. The plan below is designed to avoid that. It works whether you stopped for a month, a pregnancy, an injury, a busy year, or a decade.

What happens to your fitness when you stop

Knowing what you lost, and how fast it comes back, takes some pressure off.

• Cardio fitness drops first. A review of detraining research in Sports Medicine describes a rapid decline in aerobic capacity in trained athletes within the first four weeks of stopping, with smaller changes in people who had only recently started training.
• Strength holds up better. The same review found strength declines in the short term were limited, even as some muscle changes reversed.
• Coming back is usually faster than starting. Many people who trained before find movements, technique, and fitness come back faster than they built them the first time. Do not let that tempt you into skipping the ramp-up.
• Age changes the math. As Harvard Health notes, with age we lose muscle and flexibility, which raises the injury risk of jumping back in at your old level.

Step 1: Check in with your body (and maybe your doctor)

If you have heart disease or risk factors for it, lung problems, diabetes, a recent injury or surgery, or are pregnant or postpartum, check with your doctor before you start. Harvard Health recommends medical clearance for people with heart or lung risk factors before returning to exercise. For most healthy adults, light activity is safe to start right away.

Step 2: Start at half

Whatever you used to do, start with about half: half the distance, half the weight, half the number of classes, or the beginner version of the class. Harvard Health's advice is to begin with a low-intensity workout of 20 or 30 minutes and increase intensity and length over time.

These are rough guidelines, not rules. If you finish a session feeling like you could have done much more, that is the right level for week one.

Step 3: Pick something you will actually show up for

The best workout to come back with is the one you enjoy enough to repeat, and Harvard Health makes the same point. For many people that means group classes, because the class does the planning for you: the time is fixed, the instructor sets the workout, and other people expect to see you.

Good classes for a comeback:

• Yoga or slow flow: rebuilds mobility and some strength at low risk. Our guide to yoga classes for beginners covers your first class back.
• Mat or reformer pilates: core and full-body strength, low impact.
• Spin: cardio with no impact, and you control the resistance.
• Beginner strength classes: coached form and weights you choose.

Save high-intensity boot camps and advanced classes for week four or later.

Step 4: Schedule it like an appointment

"I'll go when I have time" rarely survives a busy week. Pick specific days and times, book them ahead (on Sunday for the week works well), and treat them like a meeting. Two fixed sessions you keep beat four floating ones you skip.

Make starting easy: lay out clothes the night before, keep a gym bag in the car, and choose a studio close to home or work. The less you have to decide on the day, the more likely you are to go.

Step 5: Build up slowly for four to six weeks

A simple progression for someone returning after a few months off:

• Weeks 1 and 2: two or three sessions of 20 to 30 minutes, easy to moderate effort.
• Weeks 3 and 4: three sessions, 30 to 45 minutes, or a full-length class at a comfortable effort.
• Weeks 5 and 6: three or four sessions, one of them harder, and start adding weight or intensity.

The long-term target for most adults, per the CDC's guidelines, is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week plus muscle strengthening on at least two days. The CDC notes that you do not have to do it all at once and that some activity is better than none. You do not need to hit that number in week one. If a set goal helps you, our 30-day class challenge lays out a month of classes.

Step 6: Expect soreness, and know what is not normal

Muscle soreness that peaks a day or two after a workout is normal when you come back. It fades as your body adapts, usually within a couple of weeks. Easy walking and gentle stretching help. Sharp pain, joint pain, chest pain, dizziness, or unusual shortness of breath are different: stop and talk to a doctor.

Step 7: Get other people involved

Plans that involve other people are harder to skip. Ways to build that in:

• Book a class with a friend and make it a standing plan.
• Become a regular at one class: same time, same instructor, same faces.
• Tell someone your plan for the week.
• Track your sessions so you can see the streak. A calendar on the fridge works.

If you are nervous about walking into a class alone after time away, that is very common. Our guide to going to a fitness class alone covers how to handle it, and our guide to staying motivated to work out covers what keeps people going past the first month.

Full disclosure: this is why we built Corvi. It is a free app where you check in to the classes you attend, keep a weekly streak, hit milestones at 10, 25, 50, and 100 classes, and see which classes your friends are going to. You still book with your studio; Corvi does not book classes or take payments.

Step 8: Plan for the missed week

You will miss a week at some point. Decide now what you will do when it happens: go back to your last comfortable level, not your highest, and book the next class before the guilt sets in. One missed week does not erase a month of work.

Common mistakes when coming back

• Restarting at your old level. The most common cause of injury and early quitting.
• Doing too much in week one. Five workouts in the first week often turns into zero in the second.
• Only cardio or only weights. A mix of both protects your joints and covers more of what you lost.
• Comparing yourself to your old numbers. Compare to last week instead.
• Skipping warm-ups. Harvard Health suggests about five minutes of easy movement before you start.

Common questions

How long does it take to get back in shape after a break?

It depends on how long you stopped and how fit you were. After a few weeks off, most people feel close to their old level within two to four weeks of steady training. After months or years, expect two to three months to rebuild a solid base. Strength usually returns faster than endurance, and previously trained people tend to regain fitness faster than they first built it.

How do I start working out again when I have no motivation?

Lower the bar until starting is easy: one 20-minute session, booked for a specific time, ideally with someone expecting you. Motivation tends to follow action rather than come before it. Group classes help because the time, place, and plan are decided for you. Track sessions on a calendar so you can see the streak building.

How much should I work out when getting back into it?

Start with two or three sessions a week of 20 to 30 minutes at an easy to moderate effort, roughly half of what you used to do. Add a little every week or two. Harvard Health suggests starting with low-intensity sessions and increasing intensity and length over time. Most adults can work up to the CDC's 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.

Is it normal to be sore when you start working out again?

Yes. Muscle soreness that peaks one to two days after a workout is normal when you return, and it fades as your body adapts, usually within a couple of weeks. Gentle movement helps. Sharp pain, joint pain, chest pain, dizziness, or unusual shortness of breath are not normal; stop and talk to a doctor.

Should I see a doctor before getting back into exercise?

Check with a doctor first if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, lung problems, a recent injury or surgery, are pregnant or postpartum, or have been inactive for a long time with health concerns. Harvard Health recommends medical clearance for people with heart or lung risk factors. Most healthy adults can start with light activity.

Find your next class: pick a beginner-friendly class in our Portland, Maine class directory, or join Corvi free and start a new streak.