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If You Don't Exercise You Lose Muscle
If you
don't exercise you lose muscle, the amount of hard work and the long
hours that you put in at the gym to build it not withstanding. This is a
reality most fitness enthusiasts and athletes pass through at some point
in their lives or careers. A break from the daily exercise schedule
could happen due to a variety of reasons - work, a prolonged illness, or
an injury to some body part that virtually prevents the person from
taking up heavy workouts . When such a hiatus occurs, and the body is
left without much exercise for a few weeks or months, it starts to lose
muscle mass slowly. In the case of the well-trained athlete, the effects
of training will be evident for a few weeks or even a few months, but,
it will not be the same for ordinary individuals or those with low or
moderate fitness levels, who may suffer a quick erosion of muscle and
endurance levels. Unfortunately, this is a biological phenomenon one
cannot prevent or cure completely. The best one could do is to try to
slowdown this process with some intelligent thinking and physical
application.
The best
and really the only way, according to experts, to avoid the loss of
muscle mass during inactivity, is to do something, some light activity
at least, instead of remaining idle. In some cases such as injuries, one
may not be able to move even a single muscle. Elsewhere, light exercises
or low activity levels are always a better choice to pep up your fitness
levels. Cross training is another innovative method to boost your
endurance levels. For example, if you are a runner, but you are not
feeling motivated to run for a few days or even weeks, then try out
something like a long walk or cycling for a change. In the same manner,
swimmers, during a hiatus, can try their legs on a stair stepper and an
aerobics aficionado could experiment with something like a hike in the
park. For cross training, the opportunities are virtually limitless. It
is just about finding a suitable alternative that suits your tastes.
As
mentioned earlier, serious injuries to muscles or bones could hamper all
of the prospects of trying out some workout or another physical
activity to maintain the minimal muscular activity levels. On the
other hand though, if it is a lighter injury, but serious enough to hinder
regular exercise, you could try swimming in the pool. It will be quite
interesting as well as soothing to the muscles of the hands and legs.
Finally, if boredom is the factor that is pulling you back from being
punctual for your daily workouts, try some other sports or activities to
break the monotony of your routine. Again, there are thousands of sports
and activities that can be pursued for fun or as an alternate workout
regimen. Find the one that will satiate your interests fully.
Losing
muscles during a time of injury or just a break from your usual exercise
routine is an inevitability that cannot be overcome completely. At best,
the damage can be minimized. The key to doing so is to keep your heart
and muscles active by doing some activity that interests you the most. A
few suggestions have already been made in the context of this article,
and you, with some amount of imagination and thinking, can find other
better, more suitable options for you, as well. If the reason your
hiatus from daily workouts is from injury, before trying out even light
activities or exercises, seek the approval of your doctor and your
personal trainer. Any
misadventure in such circumstances could actually make things much
worse, even to a point of permanent damage to the muscles or bones.
After all, workouts are for building fitness and endurance and not for
damaging it.
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