1. Expand your warm-up

You don’t want to give your muscles a rude awakening after their festive break, so try to make sure they’re prepared before you dive into anything more intense.

“Spend extra time on your warm-up routine to prepare your body for the demands of exercise,” Place recommends. “Include dynamic stretches, mobility exercises and light cardiovascular activity to increase blood flow to your muscles.”

2. Focus on form

After a couple of weeks off, your form might be a little rusty. “Emphasising proper form and technique during your workouts is crucial to prevent injuries, especially when you’re rebuilding strength and muscle after a break,” Place says.

3. Include recovery days

Just because your body could deal with three gym sessions a week before the break, doesn’t mean it’s fully equipped to do so now. To deal with this, Place suggests taking a gentle approach.

“Consider incorporating more rest and recovery days into your routine initially,” she says. “This doesn’t mean complete inactivity but allows your body to adapt and recover between workouts. As your fitness level improves, you can gradually increase the frequency and intensity.”

4. Prioritise mobility and flexibility

Paying attention to your mobility and flexibility is valuable at any time of the year, but it’s especially important when you’re returning from a break.

“Including exercises that enhance mobility and flexibility helps to improve joint range of motion and reduces your risk of injury,” Place explains. “Stretching and mobility work can easily be added into your cool-down routine.”

5. Listen to your body

This is not the time to push yourself – your body will tell you how well it’s dealing with the routine, so make sure you pay attention to any signs it’s struggling and dial back the intensity if necessary.

“If you experience excessive fatigue, soreness or discomfort, it might be a sign to scale back and progress more slowly,” Place adds.

Should you approach a gym session differently after a break? We asked an expert for advice