Felipe Alvares
The summer break is on. And most families will have planned vacations that would bring their routine physical activity to a sudden halt. Everything that has been worked for in the preceding months may well come to naught as the short hiatus from your usual workout routine makes you feel sluggish as the temperature soars. Feelings of guilt will set in later, but it would be pertinent to note how deleterious, if at all, a break from exercising can be.
Fitness does fade over a period of time. But how long does a break have to last to begin to have damaging effects on a person’s health and fitness? Two weeks? Four weeks? Two months?
Researchers at the Western State Colorado University examined the physiological implications when one hits the “pause button” on a regular exercise training programme. The goal was to quantify the timing and magnitude of changes in physical fitness and cardiometabolic health outcomes that occur with the cessation of regular exercise training. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, percent body
fat and waist circumference), blood parameters, resting heart rate and blood pressure, flexibility assessment, muscular fitness assessments, maximal exercise testing for cardiorespiratory fitness, and determination of first and second ventilatory thresholds were measured at baseline. This was followed by a structured 13-week exercise programme that had a blend of cardiovascular and resistance training.
Upon completion of the 13-week programme, the baseline measurements were repeated, and the participants were then placed into two groups for an additional four weeks. At the end of the 17 week period, the “train” group (who continued exercising for the additional 4 weeks), reported a favorable improvement measurements while the “detrain” group (who had stopped all exercise training immediately after the initial 13-week program ended), showed significantly worse results on all measures of physical fitness.
What was also significantly observed was the changes in blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels of the subjects, all positives being lost within one week of the cessation of training. This demonstrates that in order to decrease cardiometabolic risk, a person must take part in an almost daily practice of physical activity and exercise. These findings may be somewhat disheartening to some clients, but they represent an opportunity for individuals to appreciate the importance of true lifestyle change and sustained exercise training.
“Something is better than nothing!” An adage that is used commonly, and one that needs to be followed by every individual determined to live healthy and make the most of this one life that we live. Incorporating exercise strategies into a holiday is not difficult, and personal consultations with an exercise specialist will help one maintain the basic activity required to stay in optimal health. Enjoy the summer but don’t let the break get you down!
(The writer is the co-owner of Fitness Bar and has experience of over 20 years in the industry)
