After Kelly Gillen completed her JFK 50 Mile race in November 2016, I purposely prepared to settle into a two-month break, give or take. The long-distance run, which is almost twice as long as a marathon, had taken away so much of the passionate runner, who assumed she’d be excited to be back again in January. But the 38-year-old scientist, who lives in Brooklyn with her husband and dog, soon realized there was a problem when she hit the pavement again after stopping.
Gillen’s first run in early 2017 was unexpectedly painful, leading her to seek medical attention. Multiple visits to the orthopedic surgeon, along with two MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), revealed that Jilin’s knee discomfort was due to a loss of cartilage under her knees. She had to spend months in physical therapy and strength training before she could run again.
Unintended leave resulted in loss of fitness. For years, she’s been using running as a way to cleanse her head and area. But things were different after the injury. “I had to be very aware of every step,” Gillen says. “I had to learn how to run all over again,” she says.
She couldn’t go fast or far, and she couldn’t get out of the area because she was so focused on keeping her shape and not overdoing it. Although Gillen was thrilled to be able to run again, it was months before the movement felt as natural and effortless as before.
Whether you’ve stopped exercising due to an injury or some other reason (the pandemic may have thrown a wrench into your exercise routine), fitness experts say Jilin’s slow and steady approach to starting back up again and regaining fitness is ideal. And yes, no matter how long you took a break with your workout, going back to it can feel just as wonderful to you as it did to Jillen.
Kirk Campbell, MD, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Langone, says loss of fitness is inevitable if you stop exercising for an extended period of time — no matter how fit you are. But how quickly you lose fitness, and how much you lose, depends on both your personal circumstances and the type of fitness you are talking about.
How fast can you lose your cardiovascular fitness?
Endurance athletes such as runners, cyclists, swimmers, and dancers build cardiovascular fitness (also called physical fitness or endurance) on continuous cardiovascular training.
This type of fitness won’t go away in a matter of days, but it will decline over time, according to Dr. Campbell. In general, he says, cardiovascular fitness begins to decline significantly after about two weeks of inactivity.
In a review of the literature published in Frontiers in Physiology In October 2020, the authors examined the evidence for “lack of training,” also known as loss of fitness. Although results vary across different studies, the research indicates that for endurance athletes, the loss of cardiovascular fitness and endurance begins as little as 12 days of no exercise.
There isn’t much evidence of how low fitness persists after several weeks of complete inactivity, but “people who are in good cardiovascular health will take up to a few months to lose everything they have.” [their] Aerobic fitness,” says Campbell, adding that the schedule is about each individual’s capabilities.
Also keep in mind that unless someone is injured, a break in regular exercise rarely means complete inactivity. In a review of the above literature, evidence suggests that the cardiovascular fitness of regular exercisers begins to decline significantly after about 35 days (five weeks) of occasional light exercise. So, this means that if you exercise a lot and then reduce the intensity of your workouts drastically, you may also notice a decrease in your cardiovascular fitness.
How fast is strength lost?
Loss of muscle mass, which may limit your ability to lift weights or carry groceries home, is not likely to be significantly affected within two to three weeks, although this also depends on several factors, including age, diet, and hygiene Sleep Your fitness level before you take a rest, Campbell says. He points to a study published in May 2020 in International Journal of Exercise Science The researchers found that even three weeks of stopping did not reduce muscle thickness, strength, or performance in sports in a group of 21 adolescent athletes.
An old study suggested that age is a big factor when it comes to losing (or not losing) muscle strength. The researchers looked at the effects of strength training and lack of training on adults in two age groups: 20- to 30-year-old (18 participants) and 65- to 75-year-old (23 participants). After nine weeks of resistance training, all participants increased their maximum strength one repetition (the younger group by 34 percent and the older group by 28 percent). After 31 weeks of no exercise, young adults lost only 8 percent of the strength they had gained, while older adults lost 14 percent. According to the study, strength loss occurs more rapidly as we age, although it decreases much more slowly than cardiovascular fitness.
Even if you lose some fitness, interval training can be beneficial for you
Although you will lose some fitness with breaks from training, breaks are still really important for the body – and mind – especially after periods of hard training. “Recovery is important both physically and mentally” — it allows you to make greater gains in fitness in the long term, Campbell says.
Lydiard-certified running coach Neely Gracey in Denver says she always takes two weeks off at the end of every marathon season. It encourages athletes to do the same. “Some want more time, others want less time, but a period of no-running is important to allow the body and mind to rest and reset themselves,” says Gracey.
The five-time Team USA competitor says the leave helps athletes avoid injury from overuse of muscles, and it also helps reduce fatigue, a sentiment that Campbell echoes: “Taking a break from exercise can be beneficial. [to] Avoid fatigue.
However, there is a noticeable difference between intentional vacation (such as following an endurance event) and unintended exercise breaks (where you have no plans to return to a routine). In other words, a short break can be beneficial to avoid fatigue and injury, but taking a vacation should not become a long-term lifestyle choice.
why? Returning to exercise after a long break comes with mental and emotional challenges.
Gillen says she struggled really hard in that department. Double mileage logging was the norm, but after months of no running, 10 miles suddenly seemed “insurmountable.” “It’s definitely a mental thing [that was] “It was really hard at first,” Gillen says.
3 tips for not losing your fitness if you exercise less than usual
1. Keep moving all day
“No matter your fitness level and how that changes throughout your trip, there are plenty of ways to get active into your day,” says Jeter, who suggests bodyweight exercises (no gym or equipment required), hiking, or even gardening. Campbell recommends light training, including bodyweight resistance exercises that don’t raise your heart rate, to reduce strength loss, and points to a proliferation of fitness apps as an aid in this endeavour. Of course, if you are taking a break due to an injury or other medical reason, it is important to clarify all activities with your doctor.
2. Do not underestimate the movements of body weight
While avid runners may find strength training exercises alone an insufficient alternative to long-distance running, exercises that work the muscles of the body and encourage flexibility are critical if reducing fitness loss is the goal, says Kayla Jeter, CFSC- and RRCA- Certified running coach based in Chicago.
Campbell recommends body-weight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups (which you can adjust to your knees) to reduce strength loss, and regular stretching to maintain flexibility. There are countless fitness apps and videos, many of which are free, that can guide you through short body weight workouts.
3. Prioritize strength training
While taking a break from running to recover from an injury, Gillen focused on strength. She mostly worked with kettlebells, performing squats, deadlifts, and flips to help strengthen her glutes and body in general. She considers the months-long running break a good time, because in the end, building strength made her a better runner. She now relies less on her quadriceps because her muscles are active, which reduces her risk of injury. Five years later, she still incorporates coffee bells into her gym routine.
