Whether you’re new to a sport or a returning athlete, it can be hard to get started. But there are many ways to make your new beginning smooth, simple and a lot of fun too.
Our Comeback Challenge is designed to help you get active again after a long break. Rediscover the joy of training, leave your comfort zone – and win an L-year membership so you can stay active long term.
To get you inspired to start your sports comeback, we spoke to Sports Science graduate, personal trainer and founder of Allround Athletics Dominic Zimmermann, to find out why full-body training is so important and how a varied sports routine can improve your health holistically.
Dominic, what’s the secret to getting back into sport or starting out?
Depending on how long your training break was, you should be careful not to overexert yourself during the first training sessions. If you’re new to the sport, get a feel for it. Think of the first month as a playful preparation phase to get to know everything.
Very important: Don’t overdo it at the beginning. Motivation is great – but if you train 5 times in the first week your body will need a week off to rest so it won’t do you much good. 3 training units per week with 1 to 2 days break in-between is optimal.
What are the advantages of a varied sports routine?
Variety in sports helps people stay motivated for longer and have fun while training. Plus your body’s experiencing new challenges and has to adapt and learn again and again. This improves your coordination skills and makes it easy for you to learn new sports or movement sequences because you’ve done everything before in some form or another.
How do different activities help you improve in one major sport?
Training multiple sports has a very positive impact on your favoured activity! Take martial artists, for example. They benefit from running, strength training and agility training. They can also practice similar martial arts to improve their technique as they’ll have to adapt to new conditions.
My tip is to regularly try something new. Go bouldering or to the trampoline park, swim or dance. With each new movement, your coordination skills will improve, you’ll get a new perspective on how other athletes train and you’ll improve your main training.
Thanks for the insights, Dominic!
Combine your favorite sports for a total body workout
We’ve put together a few sports that will train your whole body so you can get started on your holistic training programme. Train strength, flexibility and technique while focussing on key target areas.
(Explosive) strength and technique
Some sports demand a lot from your body and your mind – especially if you’re doing them for the first time. So to kick-start your week, try martial arts, pole dancing or parkour, for example. They’re perfect for people with a lot of energy.
Focus on the upper body
The gym is a great place to train specific muscle groups but there are many other sports that specifically strengthen the upper body muscles. For your upper body workout, try bouldering, rock climbing, or kayaking and set new stimuli!
Focus on the lower body
There are tons of lower body activities, too. You can try indoor cycling or dancing to get that blood flowing and build muscles in your legs.
Intensive stretching and mobility
Mobility can really improve your sports performance and shouldn’t be ignored. Yoga’s a great addition to any sports routine as it stretches your body and loosens you up.
Body awareness, wellness & relaxation
Of course, it’s also important to give yourself enough time to regenerate. Courses like chi gong, tai chi, swimming and aqua put less strain on your body and help your muscles heal. Of course, you can also treat yourself to some wellness by visiting a sauna or trying out cryo.
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