When it comes to healthy living, all we want is a safe and healthy balance between being active, eating right, getting enough rest, and enjoying. Indeed, this could be the ultimate goal!
However, some people choose to do crash diets, restrict themselves, and then go on a binge (when they feel like they deserve it). The same goes for those who stick to a strict exercise routine. When unsustainable practices are at play, cheat days could turn into weeks and into months, rendering you inactive and wasting all the hard work you put into your toned physique.
While we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves, sudden inactivity has both immediate and long-term mental and physical consequences. Read on to discover the five ways your body reacts when you stop working out.
Your Heart Doesn’t Function as Well
Blood arteries tighten after two weeks of inactivity, which may raise blood pressure. When blood pressure rises, inner-arterial cells deteriorate. Blood flow to the heart is restricted by less elastic arterial walls, resulting in chest discomfort, abnormal heart rhythms, or a heart attack.
High blood pressure has the potential to damage heart muscle, leading to heart failure. As such, when you stop working out, your risk of heart disease increases.
You Muscles Shrink and Waste Away
Your diminishing strength could indicate that your muscles are wasting away, shrinking, and failing. Your gym-built muscles can go in a matter of days, and muscle atrophy occurs quickly as a result of inactivity.
Protein smoothies and powders are popular for muscle building, however, consuming more protein without exercising may not result in muscle gain. Minor muscle damage during exercise, on the other hand, increases repair, which stimulates muscle growth.
You Dip into Bouts of Depression
Endorphins are produced during physical exertion. Many people report feeling better after a vigorous workout.
Depressive symptoms may appear three days after stopping exercise, according to Professor Bernhard Baune, dean of psychiatry at the University of Adelaide. According to other research, depressed symptoms can also appear one to two weeks after ceasing physical activity.
You Feel Low Energy All the Time
While you may consider inactive days to be “rest days,” you must know that chronic exhaustion is due to the lack of physical activity. To revitalize yourself, you need to work out, not sleep more.
Exercise, according to 1500 participants, lowers weariness. Standing, using the stairs, and walking when working from home provides your body with adrenaline, which keeps you attentive.
Instead of sitting in front of your computer all day, get up and move around to enhance blood circulation. Yes, it’s that simple!
You Increase Your Risk of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is characterized by bone fragility and brittleness. Sedentary people have a higher risk of osteoporosis than active people. With a lack of physical activity, a fall or even modest stress can result in hip, wrist, and spine fractures
How to Bounce Back
Adults aged 18 to 64 should engage in 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of strenuous activity every week, according to the World Health Organization. To meet the goal, you should engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity five days per week. Perhaps you could jog in the morning or at night, bike to work and back, or have early morning gym sessions. The possibilities are endless!
Conclusion
Again, we want sustainable and healthy habits that provide us with a better body in the long run. Forget all the crash diets and the rigorous training. Simply make sure you move and stay active to get your body going while keeping your mind happy and healthy.
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