Sometimes it’s hard to stick to your workout routine in the face of life. It might be a jam-packed work week, kids to take care of, or even just a dip in motivation to get up and go to the gym. But what are the effects of stopping exercise for a month, and is it detrimental to your health?
We’re here to clear things up! Here are 5 things that can happen to your body when you stop exercising for a month:
Your Heart Health Declines
Stopping aerobic exercise for just four days can cause your heart to become less efficient – this could manifest in shortness of breath and a decreased capacity to continue with physical activity.
However, if you don’t have time to get back into your workout routine, you can always counteract these effects with regular physical activities such as going for walks or cleaning!
Your Muscles Deteriorate
14 days after quitting muscle workouts marks the time when you’ll begin to lose all that progress you made when you were sticking to a routine, but it doesn’t mean you’ll shoot straight back to square one!
Researchers have found that you can maintain your muscle strength after a month of no exercise. They just won’t work as efficiently or energetically as they used to – so it may be time to decrease the reps a little bit when you get back to the gym!
You’ll Roll Back on Your Personal Bests
After four weeks of inactivity, it’s unfortunately inevitable that you won’t be able to reach your previous personal bests from the get-go. Used to be able to complete a 5k run in 20 minutes? That will probably roll back a little bit, which is totally natural!
Be sure to take it easy when you start back up again, and don’t beat yourself up for not achieving what you once could with ease.
You’ll Lose Motivation
This may be the biggest hurdle to stopping your workout for a month – research has shown that it becomes much harder to get back to your routine because all the benefits you’ve reaped from it are no longer entrenched in habit.
The good news is, after two weeks of regular exercise, you should be able to jump back into your routine again without worry – it’s just a matter of building the confidence and motivation to stick to it!
Your Body Will Crave Movement
To counteract your lack of motivation, you’ll find that your body will be ready to work out when you’re back in your routine. You can take advantage of this by doing HIIT exercises where you complete the same amount of intensity in a shorter time, as your body will be eager to move again!
This means you can cut out the time from your previous routine and still maintain the same amount of exercise you were getting previously. Every cloud has its silver lining!
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