The February problem
Every January, gyms fill up. By the middle of February, many of those new members have stopped, and a common reason is not a lack of willpower. It is a sore shoulder, an aching knee or a stiff lower back that started in week two and never quite settled.
Going back to the gym after a break is one of the best decisions you can make for your health. The trick is to treat the first six to eight weeks as a build-up phase rather than a test of how much you can still do.
Why January injuries happen
Most gym injuries in the first weeks are not dramatic accidents. They are overload problems: tendons, joints and muscles asked to do much more than they were prepared for, much sooner than they could adapt.
Sport research suggests that sudden jumps in training load, compared with what the body is used to, are linked to more injuries (Gabbett, 2016). The same principle applies to someone returning to the gym after Christmas, or after two years away.
Several things make January particularly risky:
- Detraining: after weeks or months off, strength and tendon capacity fall faster than our memory of what we used to lift.
- All at once: five classes in the first week, new running plus new weights plus a new diet.
- Copying others: following a programme designed for someone with years of training behind them.
- Cold, rushed sessions: arriving straight from a cold commute and going heavy without preparation.
- Poor sleep and stress: both reduce recovery, and both are common after the holidays.
The good news: strength training lowers your injury risk
It might sound backwards, but strength work is one of the most effective tools to lower injury risk we have. A meta-analysis of 25 randomised trials with over 26,000 participants compared different exercise programmes for reducing sports injuries. In the few trials that tested it in athletes, strength training reduced injuries by roughly two thirds, while stretching alone showed no protective effect (Lauersen et al., 2014).
Weight training itself is also relatively safe. A review of injury data across the weight-training sports found injury rates that are low compared with many other sports, with most problems affecting the shoulder, lower back and knee, and most related to load and technique (Keogh and Winwood, 2017).
So the aim is not to avoid lifting. It is to start at the right level and progress at the right speed.
How to go back to the gym after a break
1. Start lower than you think
For the first two weeks, use roughly half to two thirds of the weights you remember using. Finish each set feeling you could have done two or three more repetitions. This feels too easy for some people, which is exactly the point: tendons adapt more slowly than muscles, and they need time.
2. Increase one thing at a time
Add weight, sets, sessions or running distance, but not all of them in the same week. A rough guide is to increase overall weekly load by a modest amount and to keep a lighter week every three to four weeks.
3. Two to three sessions a week is enough
The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week, alongside 150 minutes of moderate activity (Department of Health and Social Care, 2019). A sensible January plan is two or three full-body strength sessions with a rest day between them, plus walking, cycling or swimming on other days.
4. Warm up for the session you are about to do
A good warm-up is five minutes of light cardio followed by lighter sets of the first exercises. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a warm-up and gradual progression as part of every exercise programme (Garber et al., 2011).
5. Learn the movement before loading it
Squats, deadlifts, presses and rows are excellent exercises. Spend the first few weeks on control and range of movement. Ask a qualified coach to check your technique if you are unsure.
6. Respect sleep and recovery
Muscle and tendon adapt between sessions, not during them. Short nights and back-to-back hard days make overload more likely.
Soreness or injury: how to tell the difference
Delayed muscle soreness, the stiffness you feel one or two days after a new session, is normal. It is spread across the muscle, eases as you move and fades within a few days.
These signs suggest something else and deserve attention:
- sharp or catching pain during a movement
- pain located over a joint or a tendon rather than across the muscle belly
- pain that is worse the morning after each session and building week by week
- swelling, clicking with pain, or the joint giving way
- pins and needles or pain spreading down an arm or leg
A simple rule many therapists use: some discomfort during exercise is acceptable if it stays mild, settles within 24 hours and does not get worse from week to week. If it does not, reduce the load and get it assessed.
When to stop and get help now
- Chest pain, fainting, palpitations or breathlessness out of proportion to the effort: stop and seek medical help straight away.
- Severe muscle pain with swelling and dark urine after a very hard session (for example a first intense class): go to A&E. This can be rhabdomyolysis, a muscle breakdown problem that needs urgent treatment.
- Low back pain with numbness around the saddle area (between the legs), or new problems with bladder or bowel control: call 999 or go to A&E.
Common January complaints
- Front of the knee pain after squats, lunges or new running.
- Shoulder pain with overhead pressing or bench press.
- Lower back stiffness after deadlifts or rowing machines.
- Achilles or heel pain after a sudden jump in treadmill work or classes with jumping.
Most of these respond well to load adjustment rather than complete rest. Stopping everything often makes the return harder.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait between sessions? For full-body strength work, a day of rest or lighter activity between sessions suits most people in the first weeks.
Should I train through soreness? Mild stiffness that eases as you warm up is fine. Pain that is sharp, sits over a joint or tendon, or builds from week to week is a reason to reduce the load.
I am over 60 and out of practice. Is this for me too? Yes. The same rules apply at any age: start lighter, increase one thing at a time and give your body time to adapt.
The bottom line
Going back to the gym in January is a great idea. Build up steadily, increase one thing at a time and let your tendons catch up with your enthusiasm. Strength training done this way lowers your risk of injury instead of raising it.
If you have a pain that is holding you back, or you want a safe return plan after a long break or an old injury, create an account at bpr.clinic and book an assessment with one of our therapists. At the assessment we listen to your history, look at how you move and give you a return plan with clear steps you can follow.
References
- Gabbett TJ. The training-injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder? British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016;50(5):273-280. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095788
- Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2014;48(11):871-877. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092538
- Keogh JWL, Winwood PW. The epidemiology of injuries across the weight-training sports. Sports Medicine. 2017;47(3):479-501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0575-0
- Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2011;43(7):1334-1359. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb
- Department of Health and Social Care. UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines. 2019. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/physical-activity-guidelines-uk-chief-medical-officers-report
