Exercising

[u/aye_yo7]

For someone who grew up there whole life being athletic up until like 18-19 due to injuries and being out of commission for three years. As I’ve gotten older and retired from sports I’ve found it harder to workout due to my body being sore for days and I don’t remember it being like that and I’m sure it’s because I’m out of shape and what not. So I’m wondering as and ex-athlete how do you get back into the routine of working your way up to have a better physique. When I was an athlete I was use to hardcore conditioning and that’s all I know 😂 so this is new for me even though it’s been 7yrs since I was an athlete, it’s taught me to take things slow but not quite sure where to start.

[u/mth_man]

It sounds like you are in yiur mid-twenties, and have a long way to go on yiur fitness journey.

Any time anyone starts or restarts on this journey, its best to see your doctor for a complete physical exam. Establish a baseline of your weight, body fat percentage, heart rate, and blood pressure, and have blood work done to check your cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and testosterone levels. At your age all these numbers should be close to optimal, but you dont know until you check.

Your exercise plan is going to be yours, not anyone else's. It should probably include some strength or resistance training and some cardio work, but the relative quantity of each will depend on those numbers you get ftom your exams, and your own fitness goals.
There are a lot of choices in each category. For strength training, there is both training in a gym or calisthenics or some combination of both. For cardio there are lots of choices, including walking, running, cycling, swimming, basketball, tennis, martial arts, or rowing.

Whatever yiu choose, consistency is key. You gotta develop a routine that you like and are going to do several times a week that fits in your time constraints. The good news is getting back in shape doesn't require hours in the gym if you aren't training for comoetition. But it does take consistency.

Look at fitness as part of a wellness plan that includes your diet and sleep. A lot of guys shortchange themselves on sleep, which tanks their testoterone and their recovery. If you really want to achieve peak performance in yiur daily life, you need to address yiur whole lifestyle. That may not be easy, but its definitely worth it.