Getting Back on Track after a Break from Exercise

Over the past few months, several of my clients have had an extended break from their exercise routines for a variety of reasons. Some were unable to exercise for 2 - 3 weeks and others were out for 2 - 3 months.

As we age, many women are at higher risk of injuring themselves by falling or getting sick. We can minimize this risk by engaging in many healthy habits including eating well and drinking enough water, minimizing our stress, getting enough sleep and of course, exercising.

When we’re in good shape and need to take a break from exercise, because we get sick or injured for example, we do lose muscle mass. Every week that we skip our strength training routine, we get a bit weaker, but the good news is that anyone who was exercising before their break will have a much easier time gaining that muscle back.

I have two clients who are excellent examples of this, one in her 70’s and another in her 80’s. The 80 year old broke a bone in her hip and was unable to strength train for almost 3 months and the 70 year old got Covid and was out of commission for almost a month.

Before each of these incidents, these women exercised regularly. They strength trained 2 -3 times per week, walked regularly and stretched pretty consistently.

When they came back to training sessions, they were a bit stiff and definitely weaker than they had been previously.

Astonishingly, it took very little time for them to regain their strength however.

• After a month away, my 70(ish) year old client was almost back to her regular routine in just over a week.

• After 3 months away, my 80(ish) year old client regained her strength and flexible in approximately 3 weeks of training.

Interestingly, my older client has recently done a good job walking and stretching but has been inconsistent with her strength workouts. As a result, she is once again losing muscle mass in her body.

When we don’t have enough muscle, we often lose confidence in our bodies ability to perform effectively, meaning to keep us from falling or being able to engage in all the activities of our lives.

Optimal fitness includes strength, cardio and flexibility. That means strength training 2 - 3 times per week, getting our heart rates up for a minimum of 150 minutes per week and stretching daily.

We’re never going to be perfect, but the closer we are to reaching the goal above, the more physical reserve we develop and the healthier we tend to stay.

If we do need to take a break from exercise for any reason, we will lose muscle mass. The great news is that we can always gain it back at a much faster rate than we lost it! We just have to be consistent with our routines.

This is true regardless of your age or the amount of time you’ve been away from exercise.

Action Step:

• Assess your current fitness routine.

  Are you getting a balance of cardio, strength and flexibility each week or are you missing one or more components of optimal fitness?

• What’s one thing you can do this week to improve your physical health?

  Do that one thing this week and work on making it a regular habit.