The Things That Happen When You Stop Exercising

Are you considering quitting working out? This how doing so may affect you mentally and physically.

1. You Are At Higher Risk For Depression

Jim White, an ACSM exercise physiologist, said that abstaining from exercise can have many negative effects on your health, and emotional changes may be the first ugly move. The person may become to feel little slow. This is because the brain does not flow to the hippocampus as frequently as people who exercise. University of Adelaide A study in, found that stopping exercise can increase depression symptoms after three days.

2. Your Blood Pressure Rises

South African researchers found that after two weeks of inactivity, your blood vessels began to harden and pressure began to rise. In another study, Japanese researchers found that after three months of not working out, the stiffness of the arteries of endurance athletes increased, which has been shown to cause an increase in blood pressure; after 12 months of no exercise, that stiffness became even more serious.

3. You’ll Lose Control Over Blood Sugar

If you can keep your blood sugar levels stable, you can reduce your risk of weight gain, fatigue, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that participants who participated in the eight-month strength and aerobic training improved their blood sugar levels, but about half of them lost that within 14 days after quitting working out.

4. Your Muscles Shrink

“The loss of muscle mass and bone health after stopping exercise is difficult to recover and may increase the risk of serious injury,” said Miho J. Tanaka, MD. Dr. Tanaka added that your risk of joint or back pain will also increase. According to Mike Clancy, a New York-certified strength and conditioning expert, where you lose muscle depends on the type of exercise you stop doing. He said, for example, if you are a runner, your leg muscles lose strength and size. For weightlifters, any normal working muscle will contract, Clancy said.

5. You’ll Lose Endurance

Clancy pointed out that although you will not be “exhausted“, once you stop exercisingyour endurance will decline. Also Clancy stated: “Your heart will be extra delicate resistancewhich sets you at a larger chance of health issuesand with the circulation of oxygenyour lung capacity will diminish.”

6. You Could Gain Weight

According to James Shapiro, a personal trainer with a Master of Sports Science in New York, stopping doing exercise does not automatically equal weight gain. But Shapiro warns, pay close attention to the scale: your body’s energy requirements will decrease, so you must eat less. Also, Due to lack of physical activity, metabolic work is decreased, which often results in weight gain without the necessity to modify your calorie intake.

7. Your Bones Become More Fragile

According to the Mayo Clinic, regular exercise-especially weight-bearing exercises such as strength training, walking and jogging-is essential to maintain bone strength and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. When you sit there all day, your bone density will drop faster.

8. You’ll Sleep Worse

If you quit working out, you will find it more difficult to snooze. Research shows that regular exercise can increase total sleep time and can help you feel more alert during the day. Several studies, including one published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, have shown that regular exercise is essential to sleep quality. Don’t miss these other subtle but powerful benefits of exercise.