5 Ways to Bounce Your Booty Back Faster After a Break

Happy New Year, Dear Danglers!!!! Welcome back! OK – hands up if you completely abandoned your training and drank too much cabernet over the holidays! ME TOO. Oh dear. Time to get back in the game! So how do you jump back in safely and fabulously after being away for a few weeks? A few months? A Year? Grab some cawfee and we’ll tawk. And pass me a bottle of red….

 

Why You Were Away Matters

I was 4 months post-partum. Things were still harder than I wanted them to be!
So, why were you away? Vacation? Pregnancy & birth? Injury? Slacking? The reason for your absence matters a lot, and can give you a more realistic timeline for returning to your previous level of awesomeness. For example, if you just had a baby, you are realistically looking at 8-12 weeks between birth and the time you can get back in the air (not counting the months when that SPECTACULAR baby bump made that trapeze too crowded to do anything but pose on). Injured? You can only go as quickly as your injury will allow. Even a two week vacation can mess with your game when you’re in the early days of romancing an apparatus.
I know, I hear you – you want to be back to your rock star self TODAY RIGHT NOW THIS VERY MINUTE PLEASE. I get it – it’s no fun to feel like you worked your tushie off just to see that hard work go out the window with a gallon of eggnog, a two week Real Housewives marathon, and zero movement. So, as I heave myself back into the air, I invite you to do the same, and keep this on your radar.
 

5 Ways to Get Back in the Game Faster

 
1 – Don’t hurt yourself by going balls to the wall day one! Take your temperature (not literally, unless you really want to), see where you are, and never gage success by the first day back. Push yourself too hard in your frustration, and you could wind up with an injury that will prolong your hiatus! This especially applies to returning to aerial work after having a baby. Hello? You just made a person and catapulted them into the world! Cut yourself some slack!
2 – Trust the training & be where you are (I spent a half an hour trying to insert a little gong sound here. I failed, so GONGGGGGGGG!). You are where you are where you are, and no amount of beating yourself up is going to change that. Take it from me – you’ll be back in the game WAY sooner than you think! Breathe and train.
3 – Avoid mental games. Right about this time, your Inner Meanie is going to rear it’s ugly head, and try to convince you that it’s-all-pointless-the-hard-work-is-all-gone-you-suck-and-you’ll-never-have-that-hip-key-again. This is not true. You had it once, you will have it again. Shut up, Meanie.
4 – Do your best work. Cut yourself some slack? Yes. Let yourself off the hook and make excuses? NO. Work as hard and as diligently as you safely can – you’ll feel good knowing that even if you’re not back to where you were, you did your absolute best and that matters more. It really does. Remember: this is temporary!
5 – Visualize & remember. By session 3, you’ll likely have a good idea of where you actually are and what needs your attention. Review your notes on these moves and see if you’re slipped back into poor technique which may be holding you back. Try to remember in your mind and body what that move felt like, and see if you can come any closer to recapturing that sensation.
 
At the end of the day, it really does boil down to two things: 1) patience 2) realistic expectations. Take a deep breath, and accept where you are. Tough love: you don’t have a choice. Focus on the step just in front of you, and really celebrate every move forward – you’ll be back to your badass self in no time at all! Love and pull-ups, Laura

 
 

 

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13 comments on “5 Ways to Bounce Your Booty Back Faster After a Break”

  1. Rebecca

    JUST the encouragement (and reality check) I needed to hear! Have I ever mentioned that we love you?

    • Sharon Krisanovski

      Oh this helped so much! This week was my first week after a month of not moving at all because of a groin injury. I lost a lot of strength, but I also think that my body is still in trauma after the fall and does not really want to go up as eagerly as I used to. I will take this advice as gold, will take it easy for the next few sessions and assess. πŸ₯°

      • Lewitwer

        Hooray – I’m so glad it helped! Yes – take everything nice and slow. You’ll be back in business in no time! πŸ’•

  2. Betty Scandretti

    I just took several weeks completely off and then did the best hanging leg raise of my life. Weird. I’m not necessarily looking forward to the first couple of silks sessions, but the encouragement does help!

    • Lewitwer

      Isn’t that weird (and wonderful)? Sometimes, a little break is just the thing to catapult you forward! Nice!!!

  3. Alicia

    Going back to fabrics lessons tomorrow after 4 weeks off due to injury and the hollidays, thanks for the encouragement!!

  4. Maritza

    Thanks so much for your words. I’m starting back today after 8 weeks due to shoulder injury and I feel like its my first time in the air!

  5. Tolly

    Laura! I realize this is an old post so you might not get the comment, BUT…this was so encouraging to hear. I’m pregnant right now (8 weeks!) and am terrified that I’ll never get back to my pre-pregnancy shape or skill level. However, one of my old teachers had a child, and currently has THE most amazing body – not to mention the most amazing technique, endurance, etc.

    So here’s my question…was diastis recti an issue for you after giving birth? It seems like it affects most new mothers, and I want to be prepared. I realize I won’t be able to jump right back on the cloth the day after (or month after!) we welcome our baby into the world, but I would like to stitch those abdominal muscles back together somehow!

    I love your blog, but especially all of your pregnancy posts. πŸ˜‰ Keep up the good work, and thank you!!

    • Lewitwer

      CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Every aerialist I know who has had a baby has come back stronger than ever – DON’T WORRY!!! πŸ™‚ As to your diastis recti question, my abs still have a small space (I carried completely in front of my ribs and hips – it was spectacular). It matters zero percent in my work and training. One thing to be prepared for is that the muscles will take some time to shorten after being stretched so far. I tried going back on silks at 4 weeks, and had zero success. 6 weeks? A little better. 8 weeks? Back in the game! I also re-stared my bleeding when I tried to go up too early – it wasn’t smart. Give yourself at least 6 weeks (8 if you have a Cesarean) – you really will need it. Keep listening to your body – you’ll be great!!!! πŸ™‚

      • Tolly

        YAY! Thanks so much for your prompt reply, Laura. I’ve been reading (and re-reading) your pregnancy series like crazy…right now in the first trimester, I’m still training, but also quickly turning into a narcoleptic. πŸ˜‰ It’s funny, though – aerial and dance rehearsals are the only time I feel totally non-nauseous and full of energy. Guess that’s a sign that this is what my body needs right now!

        Anyway, that’s good to hear that diastis recti doesn’t affect your training. I’ve been hearing lately of celebs wearing spanx / corsets / etc. right after they give birth to squeeze their organs and abs back together…whoa. Corset or no, I will heed your six weeks advice, and keep things easy breezy until then. Thank you Laura!

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