Stopped Working Out? Here’s What Happens
Stopped working out suddenly? When you go from a go-hard-or-go-home mentality to a go-home-and-stay-home one, a few things happen to your body. The good news is that they’re all relatively easy to reverse. From long-term injury downtime to rest days accidentally turning into rest weeks, here’s what’s going on if you’ve stopped working out – and how to get back to optimal fitness in no time.
1. Blood pressure rises
Exercise boosts your blood flow. So when you stop working out, your vessels stiffen and your blood pressure will increase. But you can widen your arteries again with daily movement. Something is better than nothing, so try to bring more physical activity into your day-to-day routine to lower your blood pressure. Here at EVO, we strive to make sure our members can take ultimate control of their training – so we keep it simple. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the thought of exercise, our experts are on hand to give you the tools you need to unlock your true potential.
2. Cardio capacity decreases
You know that feeling: you’ve stopped working out for a couple of weeks and finally motivate yourself to do your first run. Only thing is, you’ve ran half a mile and your chest feels like it’s going to implode. This happens because your body’s ability to use oxygen diminishes when you stop working out. Known as your VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen you can get into your system), this determines your cardio capacity and how well you can perform.
3. Muscles weaken
If you’ve stopped working out with weights, you’ll notice significant deflation in your muscles. If you’re a runner who’s spent a little too much time on the sofa recently, you might see a loss of strength and size in your leg muscles. It happens fast. Researchers found that stopping training for 12 weeks resulted in decreased muscle mass and muscular strength. However, if you had good muscle strength before you detrained, your ‘muscle memory’ will speed up the retraining process.
4. Your mood takes a hit
We’ve all felt the instant effects of a refreshing swim, morning run or a fresh-air bike ride. Physical activity makes us happier and less stressed, blasting our body with feel-good endorphins. In fact, not exercising when your mental health is suffering is like not picking up a doctor’s prescription for you when you’re sick. If you’re prone to anxiety, moving more can help fire up your flight-or-fight response – an evolutionary response to a perceived threat or challenge – making your body better able to handle a stressful situation when one arises.
The longer you remain idle, the harder it becomes to regain your gains. The grumpier you become, your muscles shrink, and your health takes a hit. We need natural human movement, in a natural environment, as much as we need food and sleep. When we remove ourselves from it, we suffer from dysfunction. When we return, we begin to heal. Partner up with one of our expert personal trainers and start your healing process today – our friendly team can design a tailored programme to get you motivated, moving and feeling on top of the world, physically and mentally.
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