What Happens to Your Body When You Take a Break From Exercise

One week? All good! But what happens after a month or more?

After taking a hiatus from fitness, you might notice that getting back into the swing of things is hard (and sometimes painful). But how long is too long to derail your fitness goals?

Here’s what happens to your body when you take a break from exercise, be it a few days, a few weeks, a few months or even a year. Now’s your chance to find out how much is really at stake.

Skipping Workouts for a Few Days?

No biggie! If you’re a fitness junkie who works out on the reg, your body could probably use some downtime. Use this time to repair your muscles and mind so you can come back physically and mentally stronger than ever before.

The biggest risk here is for beginners, especially since the key to getting fit is training consistently. Getting motivated after a few days off might be a bit more difficult for fitness newbies than for advanced athletes.

Two Weeks of Inactivity?

When you exercise regularly, your lungs and heart become more efficient at delivering fresh oxygen and blood to your body. Plus, your VO2 max (your body’s ability to use oxygen during exercise) drastically improves.

However, when you stop exercising for 2 weeks or more, your VO2 max and your heart and lung capacity rapidly decline. In fact, studies suggest by week 4, your VO2 max may decrease by as much as 20 percent. Other studies suggest that there is a 7 percent decrease in VO2 max by day 12. And for beginners, it’s even worse. Newbies may notice a sharp decline as early as day 10.

One Month of Inactivity?

The German word “kaput” works perfectly here since that’s exactly what’ll happen to your cardio and strength gains at this point. You’ll notice a sharp decline in lean muscle mass, which will unfortunately be replaced by more body fat.

You may also notice it’s harder to get a good night’s sleep. When you stop exercising, your circadian rhythm gets disrupted, which impacts sleep patterns. So unfortunately, nothing too positive to report here!

A Few Months of Inactivity?

After a month, your cardio and strength gains disappeared. Now, you can add your metabolism to the list of things to go. By this point, you’ll burn significantly fewer calories, fatigue will set in much more quickly and your heart and lungs will have to work much harder to utilize oxygen efficiently.

A Year of Inactivity?

Following a year of inactivity, you’ll notice a significant increase in your body fat percentage, complete loss of muscle, a painfully slow metabolism and a greater risk of developing serious health issues like high cholesterol, diabetes, depression and heart disease. Some pretty scary stuff!

Returning to Exercise After a Break?

Even if you’ve just taken a few days off, you may feel sore once you start back up again. But how sore you feel depends on many factors—age, genetics, how long of a break you took, your training intensity, etc.

Depending on the length of your break, it may feel like you’re starting completely from scratch. The good news is that your body remembers how to exercise. With time, it’ll get easier and easier. It’s even possible to get your body back to where it was before you took a break.

Just remember: If you’ve taken a significant break, it’s extremely important that you ease back into exercise to avoid injuries.

If you’re not sure how to start back up, follow these basic principles to ease back into your training routine:

Give your body time to adapt. It typically takes 3 weeks to get back to where you were before your break, so use the first 2 weeks to gauge how you feel.
Start slowly and progress gradually. When you start back up, opt for low-impact, lighter versions of the workouts you were accustomed to before your break. Use lighter weights and go at a lower intensity until you slowly start to progress.
Take extra rest days between workouts. Let’s face it—you’re going to be sore. Plan some extra recovery days to ensure you stay healthy for the long haul.
Bump up the intensity each week. Each week, gradually increase the intensity until you’re back to where you were before the break.

A Word From Gymondo

Everyone deserves some rest, including you, so give yourself permission to take an occasional break from exercise. Taking a break may be just what your body needs and can actually enhance your performance upon return.

So, if you’ve been thinking of taking a week off from working out, chances are you probably need it. Use your break to explore new activities, connect with your loved ones and focus on other important areas in your life. Then come back recharged and refreshed!

Whether you’ve taken a long break or want to elevate your workout routine, Gymondo’s got you covered. Explore 40+ training programs and 500+ workouts perfect for your fitness level and goals. Sign up for a free 7-day trial today!

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