Things That Happen To Your Body Show Why You Should Continue Some For Of Exercise
Everybody’s been there. You work out for a while, then get too busy with work and/or family, sustain an injury or maybe just get burnt out and decide to take a week or two off. Then the holidays roll around with all the yummy but not so healthy treats between office parties and cocktails at friends parties. After a fun New Years eve you start wondering about the things that happen to your body during the festivities since you decided to throw in the towel on your workouts. Don’t worry, everybody has done it for one reason or another. The best thing you can do now is get back into your workout routine. Here are some reasons why:
Within Two Weeks Of Stopping Working Out
Depending on how long you have worked out will have an impact on things that happen to your body. If you are relatively new to the workout world – six months or less – you will more than likely find a flight of stairs getting more difficult. This is due to a drop in the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use (VO2 max). VO2 max can drop at least 10% in just two weeks and continues dropping rapidly from there, as much as 25% after only a few months.
You Begin Losing Strength
Assuming you were doing some type of strength training – lifting weights, push ups, pull ups etc, loss in muscle can literally begin within days. Your muscles need to be challenged or they will start to lose protein which leads to loss of muscle fiber. This will not only lead to loss of muscle gains but you’ll have lift lighter amounts of weights when you start working out again.
Within Four Weeks Of Stopping Working Out
You will probably start gaining back the weight you lost. Diet plays the biggest part in gaining weight but if are taking in the same amounts of food you were while working out, more than likely you will gain fat. If you are no longer following the diet you started when your workout began, gaining fat is inevitable. Not just in your stomach. Not exercising muscles will lead to flabbiness around your chest, arms and thighs too.
You Lose Flexibility
This will probably occur sooner but by now your flexibly will definitely be lacking. This is particularly true for those that have desk jobs or long commutes. That’s because sitting for long periods causes your muscles and tendons to retract to their normal resting length and if not stretched regularly (two to three days a week) they tighten and will be much more difficult to do basic stretches like touching your toes.
Your Brain may Start To Lose Focus
Over the years studies have shown that physical exercise is good for your brain, especially for middle aged adults. Not exercising can lead to feeling sluggish, irritable and lack of focus to finish projects. This is more than likely due to exercise not only gets the blood throwing through your body but to your brain as well.
Leave a Reply