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Best exercises for getting back into exercise after a long break: 7 to start with

It has been a while. Fine. We start where you are, not where you were.

By Susmit Jalan, coach at Online Fitness Worldwide.

Months off. Maybe years. Work, a baby, an injury, life. It happens.

WHO is clear on this: some activity is better than none. Start small. Then add how often, how long and how hard, a little at a time.[1]

You need a chair, a wall, some floor and a band or a backpack. No gym yet.

The 7 best exercises for getting back into exercise

  1. Brisk walking, most days

    Why
    The easiest way back in. In a meta-analysis of 15 cohorts, the risk of death kept falling as daily steps rose, levelling off at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day in adults 60 and over, and 8,000 to 10,000 in younger adults.[6] That is an observational finding, not a promise.
    How
    A pace where you can talk but not sing. That is moderate, by the NHS definition.{2} Flat route first. Hills later.
    Dose
    10 to 20 minutes, most days. Add about 5 minutes a week.

  2. Sit-to-stand

    Why
    The first strength move the NHS lists for people who have not done much for a while.[3] Legs and hips do most of the work of daily life.
    How
    Sit on the front of a solid chair. Lean forward a little. Stand up with your legs, not your arms. Sit down slowly.
    Dose
    Start with 5 slow reps.[3] Build to 3 sets of 10. Then hold a backpack.

  3. Wall press-up, then desk, then floor

    Why
    Chest, shoulders and arms. The NHS suggests 3 sets of 5 to 10 at the wall.[3] The lower your hands, the harder it gets.
    How
    Hands on the wall at chest height. Body straight. Bend the elbows, close the gap, push back.
    Dose
    3 sets of 5 to 10. When 10 is easy, move to a desk edge.

  4. Glute bridge

    Why
    The back of the hips and legs. Easy on the knees, and lying down means no balance to worry about. Hips and legs are on the NHS list of major muscles.[2]
    How
    On your back, knees bent, feet flat. Push through the heels. Lift the hips until knees, hips and shoulders line up. Lower slowly.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 10. Pause 2 seconds at the top.

  5. Band or backpack row

    Why
    Back, shoulders and arms are on the same NHS list.[2] After a long break the upper back is usually the part nobody trained.
    How
    Band round a door handle or table leg. Stand tall. Pull the elbows back to the ribs. Pause. Return slow.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15.

  6. Dead bug

    Why
    Trunk control without strain on the back. The abdomen is a major muscle group too.[2] It is also how we teach the brace before any loaded lift.
    How
    On your back, arms up, knees over hips. Press the low back gently into the floor. Reach one arm and the opposite leg away. Return. Switch.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 a side. Slow.

  7. Walk-run intervals, when walking is easy

    Why
    A tested ramp from walking to running. NHS Couch to 5K starts with 1-minute runs and 90-second walks, 3 times a week with rest days between, and builds over 9 weeks or longer.[4]
    How
    Run easy. If you cannot speak a short sentence, slow down or walk.
    Dose
    3 non-consecutive days a week. Repeat a week if it felt hard.

How much is enough?

The target for adults: 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate activity, plus strength work for all major muscle groups on 2 or more days.[1][2]

Strength counts on its own. A meta-analysis of cohort studies linked muscle-strengthening activity with a 10 to 17% lower risk of death from any cause, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The biggest drop was at about 30 to 60 minutes a week.[7] Observational again. A good reason, not a guarantee.

The break is not a full reset. In one small trial of 14 young men, three-week breaks between training blocks did not stop them matching the muscle and strength gains of men who trained straight through for 24 weeks.[8] Small study. Short breaks. But the pattern comes back faster than you think.

Don't start at the target. Start with the walks and two strength days.

A first month back

Sample only. Not a prescription. Adjust it to your body, your history and your diary.

  • Weeks 1 and 2: walk 10 to 15 minutes on most days. Two strength days, for example Monday and Thursday: moves 2 to 6, one or two rounds. Stop each set with 2 or 3 reps still in the tank.
  • Weeks 3 and 4: walk 15 to 20 minutes. Two or three strength days, two or three rounds. Keep a day between strength days.
  • Sore the next day? Keep the next session easy. Sharp pain? Stop, and get it checked.
  • When a 30-minute walk feels easy, try the walk-run intervals on three days a week.

Want it coached live?

This is what Return is for. 45 minutes. 12 alternate-day sessions a month. We rebuild the pattern before the load.

Coached live on Google Meet, Zoom or FaceTime. In Hindi or English. On IST.

Want more later? Iron Hour is a 60-minute 1:1 session. Lean Reset is 20 sessions a month, 1:1. Open Floor is a small group.

Not sure? Start with a 30-minute consultation. It is a conversation, not training. Booking holds a time. The fee is agreed directly.

See the programsAsk on WhatsApp

Before you start

General information, not medical advice. ACSM's screening model says: if you are inactive, have no symptoms and no known heart, metabolic or kidney disease, you can start light to moderate exercise without medical clearance and build up gradually. If you have one of those conditions, or symptoms such as chest pain, unusual breathlessness or dizziness, get medical clearance first.[5] Coming back from injury, surgery or a baby: clearance first. If you are worried about your health, the NHS advises speaking to a GP before you start.[4]

ASCA Level 1 (strength and conditioning) and ACE (anatomy and biomechanics). These are credentials held by the coach. Neither body endorses this business or this article.

Sources

  1. [1] World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO; 2020. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
  2. [2] NHS. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/
  3. [3] NHS. Strength exercises (page last reviewed 28 February 2024). https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises/
  4. [4] NHS Better Health. Get running with Couch to 5K. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/running-and-aerobic-exercises/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/
  5. [5] Riebe D, Franklin BA, Thompson PD, et al. Updating ACSM's recommendations for exercise preparticipation health screening. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015;47(11):2473–2479. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000664
  6. [6] Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health. 2022;7(3):e219–e228. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
  7. [7] Momma H, Kawakami R, Honda T, Sawada SS. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Br J Sports Med. 2022;56(13):755–763. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061
  8. [8] Ogasawara R, Yasuda T, Ishii N, Abe T. Comparison of muscle hypertrophy following 6-month of continuous and periodic strength training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2013;113(4):975–985. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2511-9