The Physical and Mental Impact of Quitting Exercise

Aerobic fitness means the body's ability to transport and use oxygen from the blood in our muscles. If you stop exercising, this ability decreases within one or two weeks of quitting exercise. Also, the heart's ability to work decreases. In three to four weeks of quitting exercise, your heart rate increases by four to 15 beats from the normal rate and the blood volume decreases by five percent in 24 hours and 20 percent in two weeks. If you quit exercising for less than six months, you will lose your fitness faster than a person who exercises for a year or more.

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If you stop doing stretching exercises, you quickly lose the flexibility of your body. By stopping stretching exercises, your muscles and tendons start coming back to the same form as they were before starting the exercise. Within three days of stopping stretching, you start losing the flexibility of your body. Therefore, stretching exercises should be done at least three times a week or daily.

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When you stop strength training, changes in your muscles start to show in just a few days. When you stop strength training, the body starts losing protein, which is absorbed into your circulation and excreted through urine. Muscles start to lose important protein in just 72 hours. As seen above in cardiovascular fitness, people who exercise for a short period of time start to lose muscle faster than those who exercise for a long time.

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People who are healthy and stop exercising lose muscle and cardiovascular fitness at a much slower rate than those who stop exercising due to illness or injury. You lose your fitness level twice as fast by quitting exercise due to illness or injury due to more stress than quitting exercise while being healthy. If you have a fracture or you have undergone surgery or you are on bed rest, then it may take you 12 to 24 months to recover completely and start exercising again.

(Read more - Aerobic exercise)

Keep in mind that maintaining your fitness level is not that difficult, so if you are thinking of taking a break from your fitness, then think again. To maintain aerobic and strength levels, you only need to do 20 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) twice a week. While doing this, the heart rate should be 80 or 90 percent of your maximum heart rate.

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We lose our strength and overall fitness at twice the rate due to age. The reason for this is our hormone levels. As we age, our human growth hormone starts decreasing. We also lose the ability to control our stress and we have difficulty recovering from stress hormones. As we age, our body feels more tired after exercise.

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If you stop exercising, the capacity of your nervous system decreases. The nerve stimulation due to which you were able to lift heavy objects with normal strength earlier, you can no longer lift it because you lose your nerve stimulation. When you lift weights, you may be able to lift the same amount of weight as before, but this can put your tissue at risk. You will have to work harder and also need more rest.

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Skipping workouts can have many negative effects on the body. Muscle strength and endurance gradually start decreasing when you stop regular exercise. Along with this, fat can increase in the body and weight can also increase. Metabolism can slow down, due to which energy levels feel low. Mental health can also be affected, such as increased stress and anxiety. Not working out can also impact heart health and cause changes in blood sugar levels, which can lead to long-term diseases.