Detraining is a thing! Don't take this summer off!
Don't be a summer slacker!
Summer is here and with it comes lots of distractions! Picnics, parties and pools are calling our names and it is tempting to skip our workout for something more relaxing. We all know what happens when we take a little time off though 😕....and getting back on track is twice as hard.
None of us is in denial about the importance of strength training for our bodies. The most effective way to insure that your strength training program works for you is to make sure that it is consistent and progressive. When you are on a regular program and suddenly stop for a period of time, your body goes into a detraining mode. This is when our body partially or completely begins to lose any adaptations that it has previously made.
The rate and intensity of detraining depends on a multitude of factors. Some of the most influential ones are:
length of the rest period....any time away can have an effect on your body but a study from the Journal of Applied Physiology concluded that even just a fourteen-day break significantly reduces cardiovascular endurance, lean muscle mass, and insulin sensitivity. And, then of course, the longer the break, the greater the loss.
age....aerobic capacity, muscle quality, as well as agility naturally decline as we age. Regular exercise can slow down this process but any breaks to that pattern will put us back in decline. Therefore, the older we get (and by that, we mean older than 30...because that is when we begin to lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade) the more important it is to be consistent.
level of fitness...here's the deal, elite athletes can take off more time than the rest of us! The more fit you are, the more gradual your decline. Most of us fall into the average fitness range and, therefore, taking breaks from exercise are likely to be more detrimental to our gains.
Here's the point....don't be a summer slacker! Maintain your program of 2-3 classes a week and, not only maintain, but continue to gain strength all summer long! You certainly do not want to have extra work to do in the fall because it's already hard enough when you get cozy at the barre.....