Returning to healthy eating and exercise doesn’t have to be a pain.

If you’ve just consumed more hot cross buns, chocolate bunnies and eggs and booze than you care to remember, welcome.

While letting go and enjoying Easter treats is only natural, it can feel overwhelming if you now face getting back on the health train. Let’s be real, the idea of going from chocolate for breakfast to kale salads is not fun.

But there’s good news — getting back to eating healthily and exercising doesn’t have to be a punishment. And you don’t have to feel guilty for treating yourself.

Remember it is all about moderation and balance. If you do have an Easter blow out don’t beat yourself up. Simply get back on track the next day.

The odd indulgence will not have a negative effect on your long term health. It’s what you do repetitively every day that has the biggest impact.

If you’ve fallen off the health wagon, follow these four tips. You’ll get back into the swing of things before you know it.

1. Start small and plan three workouts

Instead of over-doing it and planning to exercise six days a week following Easter, we recommend easing back into it.

2. Don’t restrict calories

Although it may be tempting to cut calories in order to make up for all the eaten chocolate, restricting can leave you worse off in terms of training endurance and food intake.

3. Commit to a regular routine

Setting the same days of the week as ‘workout days’ can be super helpful in helping to form healthy habits and routines.

4. Integrate more fibre-rich whole foods

Once you feel like you’ve got a (slight) handle on reducing junk food, increase your intake of fibre-rich whole foods like fruit and veggies, which will help keep you full for longer — and less likely to reach for treats.

We hope you enjoyed Easter.

Everybody’s gym team.