Back into the swing of things. Gyms opened yesterday. Muscles ache today. At least they should be. Adidas. Nike. Forest shorts on. Jog down there, jog back. Light buzz in the gut. Slight dread. Wonder how much you should push it? Wonder how much you should hold back? Train solid, train wise. Have a plan. Make it up as you go along. Just pick up some weights and lift. Hand sanitisers everywhere. Bar code to get in. Revolving door like Superman. Superwoman. Super Girl. Super You. Itching to get back. All these months. Life starts here. Now. Life begins again.

Training at home wasn’t the same. Those silly water weights you ordered from Amazon. Resistance bands. Old dusty dumbbells at the back of the garage. Jog around the park. But, nothing is quite like gym. That place, that routine. Sanctuary. Fitness factory. Mats and mirrors and machines. Lycra. Posers. Today’s music. You did a light session, I know, feeling the place out. Shoulder press, curls. Bit of plank. Not as fat as you thought. Not as fit as you thought either.

Three and something months in front of Netflix didn’t take too much away. You stayed afloat, above water, below the threshold. Almost healthy. Now at the end of July you begin again. Still plenty of summer inside you. A way to go. More than anything it feels good to pick the thread again.

Launchpad. Maybe the rest did you good, rest is best, for a while. Nature’s way. So now on this Sunday morning, the day after the day before, you enjoy this ache, this unfamiliar grass-roots ache. Lactic acid.  Back to basics. A little coffee to wake us up. Body still fasting and clearing itself out. Break the fast with breakfast of a nice protein smoothie: 4 eggs, oats, milk, Greek yoghurt, berries and banana. Swallow it whole and get back down gym on day no 2. Get it done and then the day is yours, ours. Sunday roast and the final day of the Prem.

Then we can start moving on to day 3, 4, 5.

We have momentum. We have flow.

We are, back in the swing of things.

*Article provided by Joe Archer (Health & Lifestyle Correspondent).

*Main image @timeoutlondon gyms are finally back open under strict safety measures.