Fit for summer: this is how much time you need

You've undoubtedly heard it or said it yourself: 'it's so hard to start exercising again'. When you haven't exercised for a while, the trip to the gym is no longer part of your daily or weekly routine. Besides the fact that this means your body is no longer in workout mode, it also means you're mentally out of it for a while, making it difficult to start again.

Letting something become routine takes time, and so it's helpful to know exactly how much time you should set aside for this. After all, spring is just around the corner, so do you want to get fit for summer? Then allow yourself less stress by not starting last-minute but keep in mind a realistic timeline.

How much time you need to reach your goal obviously depends on how often you train, at what intensity and what exactly your goal is. But when we talk about getting back in the flow, we can keep in mind a golden rule. You may have heard it before:

This rule of thumb implies that you first feel it yourself, then start seeing it, and finally people around you notice it. Gyms take advantage of this rule by offering, say, eight or 10 weeks of trial sports: enough time to give an athlete positive feedback from both himself and those around him.

So do you want to make sure that exercising becomes so routine again that you stop thinking about it? Then stick with eight to 10 weeks. The fact that you feel and see it yourself gives you self-confidence and motivation, and the feedback you then get from those around you provides even more positive affirmation. This is something we use consciously and unconsciously to persevere. Good luck!