Lazy Summer or Deconditioning?

Taking a day or two off from exercise is normal and restorative. But if you have consistently missed your routine walks, gym visits, or runs and begin to notice stiff joints and creeping aches, you may be experiencing the onset of physiological deconditioning.

Deconditioning Explained

Exercise triggers positive adaptations: increased myocardial stroke volume, capillary density in skeletal muscle, coordinated motor unit recruitment, and enhanced mitochondrial density. Deconditioning is the physiological reversal of these gains. Physical fitness is truly a "use it or lose it" system.

How Fast Does Deconditioning Occur?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), just two weeks without aerobic stimuli can cause significant drops in VO2 max and cardiovascular endurance. Over 2 to 8 months of detraining, virtually all previous conditioning gains can be erased. Cardiovascular endurance declines first, followed shortly by muscle strength, postural stamina, and tendon stiffness.

Reference: Private Practice Section (PPS) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)