How To Start Training Again After The Holidays

After the holiday break, motivation is usually high — but so is the risk of injury if you return to training without a plan. At Hein Viljoen Physiotherapy, we emphasise careful load management to help you rebuild fitness safely and sustainably.

What is load management — and why it matters 

Load management is about planning and adjusting the physical stress you place on your body so training is effective without pushing you into injury. Think of load as any stress on your muscles, bones, tendons, and joints — whether you are walking, running, lifting, or training.

Load management is not just about resting more; it is a structured approach that balances:

• Frequency — how often you train
• Intensity — how hard you train
• Volume — how much you do
• Recovery — how well you rest and recover

Managing load carefully ensures your body can adapt and strengthen while reducing your risk of setbacks.

Why training load matters for injury risk 

Injuries usually do not come from one bad session. They develop when training demands increase faster than the body can adapt. Research in sports and rehabilitation consistently shows that sudden week-to-week increases in training load of around 10–30% are linked to a higher risk of injury, particularly when athletes return after time off.

This matters after the holidays, when recent training levels are low, but motivation is high. Jumping straight back into long or intense sessions can overload muscles, tendons, and joints that are still rebuilding tolerance. Managing load gradually — and allowing enough recovery — helps your body adapt safely and keeps you training consistently.

How holidays change your load capacity 

Time off can affect your body in subtle ways:

• Cardiovascular fitness may decline moderately.
• Muscles may lose some conditioning.
• Tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue become less tolerant of stress.

This does not mean you have “lost everything.” It just means your body needs a little time to readapt before handling pre-holiday training loads.

A step-by-step return to training      

Here is a practical plan to restart safely:

1. Begin below your previous level  

Start with around 60–70% of your pre-holiday volume and intensity. This gives your body time to rebuild without overwhelming it.

2. Progress one variable at a time  

Avoid changing volume and intensity simultaneously. First, increase how much you train. Once that feels comfortable, gradually increase the intensity of your training.

3. Use progressive overload thoughtfully 

Gradually increasing difficulty is essential, but it must be balanced with recovery so your body can adapt safely.

4. Include strength-focused sessions

Strength work improves tissue capacity, especially in muscles, tendons, and joints. Keeping consistent strength sessions as your training volume increases makes your body more resilient.

5. Monitor how you feel  

Pay attention to persistent stiffness or soreness, declining performance despite greater effort, and fatigue that does not ease with rest. These can be early signs that your load has outpaced your body’s current capacity.

Don't overload your comeback! Click here to book an appointment at Hein Vljoen Physiotherapy.