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The Flostate

Movement that Matters

Health & Wellness

How to Resume Workouts After an Extended Break

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Weeklong cabin trip interrupted your exercise routine? Recovering from an illness or injury? Or maybe you’ve just been so busy with the activities and commitments layered upon your work that you just haven’t gotten to the gym lately. There are lots of reasons why we may have taken a longer than intended break from our workout routine. It can leave us feeling sluggish, down on ourselves or just plain out of sorts. So how do you get back to it? What’s the smoothest re-entry? 

The best way is just starting. Rip off the Band-Aid.

You need to start. Make the decision that you’re ready to get going again and then pick a specific date as your start date. (Tomorrow is good. Today? Even better!)

There’s more to it than just ripping off the Band-Aid however. Let me break down some simple steps to  help you really get back on track.

Step one, make a plan 

What type of workouts do you want to do? Did you sign up for a race that you haven’t started training for? Or long to get back to those fitness classes you love? Figure out what type of training you want to do.

Next, decide a workout frequency that’s realistic for you. Can you truly make it to the gym two days a week, even though you keep trying for five? Work on being consistent with what you can actually do first. In this case, realistic is better than optimistic.The last thing you want to do is make an elaborate plan to work out every single day and then burn out or get discouraged because it’s not happening – and quit. Don’t self-sabotage.

Next, get out your calendar and identify slots of time that will work for you to workout. Block off that time like any other meeting. Schedule a workout class with Flostate or make a plan to go for a hike with a friend during that time. Get specific, like “Take Alice’s Total Body Strength Class” or “Walk for 45 minutes at Afton State Park” from 10-10:45 am, etc. 

You might have to ease in 

Do you already have a routine established or a training plan you’re supposed to be following? Depending on what that is and how long you’ve been gone will determine whether or not you can simply jump back in or if you need to ease yourself back in.

If you’re a beginner exerciser you’ve been out for more than a few weeks or are recovering from injury or illness, you need to take things a little bit slower. Start with maybe a third of what you would normally tackle in your workout week. If you’re used to taking six classes at the gym, you take two and see how your body responds.. If you’re used to resistance training in the weight room, maybe you ease back in by using just bodyweight exercises or picking up lighter dumbbells. 

Ramp up like this for a few weeks to reacclimate your body, build your confidence, and also reduce the chances of extreme soreness, or worst case – a relapse in illness or injury.

If you’re an athlete or fitness enthusiast with years of training under your belt and it hasn’t been an extended break, you’d probably be safe just reducing the weight you are lifting, mileage or minutes exercising for a week and then get back to it.  

Be patient – you’re in this for the long-haul 

In the end, think of this as a marathon and not a sprint. You don’t need to do everything perfectly or expect yourself to be right back where you were. it may take a little time, and that’s OK. Focus on consistency – even if it is different or less than your normal routine. Time really does move fast so before you know it, he will be right back where you left off.  

Start now! Take a Flostate Fitness Class today! Visit our Livestream Schedule or our On-Demand Library today to view classes.

Can Alternate Nostril Breathing Really Calm You Down?

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No one likes feeling anxious or irritable. But sadly, we often find ourselves feeling stressed out, anxious and unconsciously or consciously looking for a way to escape the feeling. The way we escape isn’t always healthy. We might tune out and “shut down” or turn to alcohol or sugar or fried foods. What else can we do when our anxiety is creeping up? Alternate nostril breathing might be the answer.

According to ancient yogic wisdom, and backed by modern day studies, alternate nostril breathing can help balance our mind and body and take the edge off. The left nostril is more connected to our parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation, rest & digest) and the right nostril is more connected to the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). The body naturally and automatically adjusts breathing throughout the day cycling between left and right nostril breath. 

We can use this knowledge to stimulate or calm either system. To wind down and find more calm we can breathe more through our left nostril. To “wake up” and energize or amp up, we can breathe more through our right nostril. To balance our emotions and energy, we can do alternate nostril breathing. Let’s try it.

To Balance:

Use the alternate nostril breathing technique. Using your thumb and ring finger, close your right nostril with your thumb and breath in and out deeply and fully through your left nostril. Switch nostrils. Lift your thumb and open your right nostril, close your left nostril with your ring finger. Breath in and out deeply and fully through your right nostril. Repeat this for 5-10 cycles or 5-10 minutes. 

To Energize:

Spend more time breathing strictly through the right nostril. Switch your ratio of breaths so you complete two breaths through the right nostril to one breath through the left nostril. 2:1. Using your thumb and ring finger, close your left nostril with your ring finger and take two full breath cycles (inhale and exhale is one breath cycle) through your right nostril. Switch to left nostril breathing by closing your right nostril with your thumb and lifting your ring finger. Take one deep and full inhale and exhale. Repeat this 5-10 times.

To Calm:

Spend more time breathing strictly through the left nostril. Switch your ratio of breaths so you complete two breaths through the left nostril to one breath through the right nostril. 2:1. Using your thumb and ring finger, close your right nostril with your thumb and take two full breath cycles (inhale and exhale is one breath cycle) through your left nostril. Switch to right nostril breathing by closing your right nostril with your ring finger and lifting your thumb. Take one deep and full inhale and exhale. Repeat this 5-10 times.

Try these breathing techniques to guide your energy and focus levels. You may be pleasantly surprised at how effective they can be. Practice these breathing techniques with Flostate. Use these anytime during the day to get what you need, or start your day with alternate nostril breathing to begin your day in a more balanced state. Click on what you need below or visit our on-demand library for more breathing, stretching and yoga videos.

What if I can’t breathe through my nose? This can happen due to colds, flus, allergies or other reasons. Good news – You can breathe your way to an open nose! The more you breathe through your nose, the more open your nasal passages will become. Be intentional about nose breathing. Practice each day and you will open your passages and be able to get more air and more productive breathing over time. What to learn more about the power of breath? We recommend reading James Nester’s book “Breath”. 

The Challenge of Morning Workouts

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You go to sleep excited about tackling that early morning workout, but you wake up feeling … tired (of course) and the warm bed feels like a magical cocoon of sorts. Maybe I’ll hit snooze just one more time?

If this is where you find yourself most mornings, you are not alone. As the days get shorter, the nights get longer, and air gets colder, your bed and the snooze button can become not only your habit, but your achilles heel. 

How do we overcome this and “just get out of bed”? 

  • Plan ahead. Have a clear vision for exactly what you are going to do when you wake up and how much time you need to achieve it. “I’m going to do the 30 minute Total Body Strength Circuit workout today.”
    • Tip: Set your workout clothes next to your toothbrush the night before. (Make this as easy as possible.)
  • Find a workout partner that is willing to commit to getting up at the same time and for a workout.
    • You can text each other in the morning to make sure the other is up. Meet up and exercise in person together. Or, you can both login and do your on-demand workout while on speaker phone and laugh and chat together.
  • Enlist your spouse to push you out of bed. Although somewhat risky – this can be highly effective. 🙂
  • Decide that come hell or high water, you are going to drag your butt out of bed and get to business.
    • This is where your determination and grit are needed. You cannot rely on how you “feel” in the morning. (We always feel tired…) This is a decision, not a feel-good moment. You are allowed to be grumpy. Just do it. 
    • The first 5 minutes are the worst. It gets better after that!
      • Tip: If you are a coffee drinker, imagine that warm cup of coffee in your hands and let that pull you into consciousness! 

In Summary:

  1. It always sucks getting up early in the morning. It’s just a fact. You are human, and oftentimes, this is how we feel in the morning. 
  2. When you do drag yourself out of bed and actually do what you said you would do, it feels amazing. You will have a more productive and energizing day. Most importantly, you will feel good about yourself and the accomplishment.

Grab your yoga mat and skip the snooze! Your personal sense of accomplishment and thoughts of, “Oh my gosh I actually did what I said I was going to do” can be a very powerful motivator. You’ve got this!

Fitness Challenges Work…Here’s Why

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Fitness challenges have the potential to help people make lasting changes to their habits, physique, wellbeing and other physical and mental attributes such as sleep quality and mood. There are many ways that joining a challenge can benefit you, so should you do it? What makes them work and why should you participate?

Read on for why we think challenges are worth it every time. 

  • Challenges provide structure. Ever been to the gym and wondered what to do? Challenges provide structure such as a time-frame (6-weeks), workout parameters (30 min/day) and ways to measure success (# of workouts completed, body measurements, strength measurements). Structure is the backbone of the entire thing and without it, you are going nowhere quick. 
  • Challenges provide a specific plan. Whether that is the actual workout and/or nutrition plan or guidelines for what to do, you need a plan to follow. It takes out the guesswork so you know if you are on track or not.
  • Accountability is built in. We need to be on the hook by something or someone otherwise we may not follow through. With challenges, there is the support of the group, text support, email support, perhaps an in-person or virtual meeting..all of these things ensure you are not alone and instill a sense of not wanting to let others down.
  • Challenges are a great source of motivation! Either from the leaders themselves or the participants in the group. Feed off of each other, share tips, workout together and see how much better you feel and how excited you become to continue.
  • The Fun Factor. Challenges are fun! They add novelty and excitement to exercise when it can sometimes seem boring. Harness this and find the joy in the experience. 
  • Rewards and prizes! Challenges often involve rewards or prizes for completion or just for participating. Prizes can also help motivate people to keep going. Prizes sweeten the deal and make things fun. Another reason to say “yes” to a fitness challenge…you just might win!


The more of these elements you have provided for you within a challenge and the more these elements fill in areas that you struggle with, the better your chances of success! So sign up for that challenge and make the decision to go “all in”.

Ready to dive in? Visit Flostate’s Challenges page to find out more about our latest fitness challenges!

Exercise for Better Metabolism

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How does exercise impact metabolism?

For the purpose of this article, we’ll think of “activity” and “exercise” as separate activities. Activity can be defined as natural movement that is part of our activities of daily living (moving the lawn, cleaning the house, walking to the mailbox, walking around during our errands, shopping, etc.). Exercise is defined as structured and intentional movement at a higher intensity and purpose than our usual activities. Examples: Lifting weights, running or brisk walking, aerobics classes, Yoga or other.

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We impact our metabolism (energy used/needed) with exercise in three ways:

1. Calories burned during the workout session.

This is what we see in our workout summary on our fitness trackers. How many calories did I use? What was my average heart rate? How hard did I work? Etc. The very act of exercise causes us to consume more calories than if we didn’t do it. This is the obvious part of the story, right? Of course we exercise to burn calories, but there is more. (Of course!)
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2. Calories burned immediately after your workout session.

This is the “after burn” – the phenomenon known as EPOC or Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. When we workout hard enough to reach an anaerobic state, the body requires more time and energy to “recover” and restore back to a steady state. This means more energy burned after the workout is over. At least there is a bonus to super tough workouts! A typical HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout will deliver these benefits. The drawback is, many of us don’t like pushing so hard or have physical limitations that prevent us from working out at this level. If you are up for it – great!
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3. Muscle built during workouts.

  • This is the exciting part. When we build muscle, we use more calories in general. According to Johnstone, et al. (2005), muscle is 5 times more metabolically active than fat. This means that if you build more muscle, your body will need more calories or energy to just maintain those muscle cells. Strong people can consume more calories and maintain a healthy weight. Lifting weights, doing weight-bearing activities and keeping fit allows you more flexibility with your eating. Finally some good news!
  • Think of muscle building as a weight maintenance strategy. Investing dedicated time each week to build muscle will reap rewards over time as you build a more robust metabolism. Not only will you have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight, you might find your shape change and inches lost as your body adjusts to your new svelte self.
  • The good news is that strength training is accessible for everyone. You can lift weights or use your body weight to generate strength without high impact (jumping), or uncomfortable cardio.

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Ready to get started? Try Flostate’s Total Body Strength Circuit (30 min) or Sunrise Strength & Stretch (30 min) class formats. Commit to 2-3 strength workouts each week and make an investment in your health that will pay dividends in the future!

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The Flostate | PO Box 251155, Woodbury, MN 55125 | info@theflostate.com | 651-412-1778