What Happens When Seniors Stop Exercising

Taking a short breather from exercising is acceptable. However, when a short break turns into two weeks and then three weeks and before you know it, it’s been months since your last exercise… your body and overall health will be in trouble.

Below are a few things that would happen if you stop from working out at a care home in Nanaimo.

Body Weight & Fat Gain

When you are used to doing regular workout and you suddenly stop, you will begin to notice an increase in body fat, which will increase your risk of gaining weight, especially if you don’t make changes in your diet after you stop working out. A study conducted in 2010 has revealed that athletes who were highly-trained that had stopped exercising had an increase in body fat just after five weeks. Another study has found out that a football player who has stopped training for six weeks has a noticeable increase in body fat. But, stopping exercise isn’t a surety that there will be weight gain. If you will control or reduce your calorie intake you can stop gaining weight or might even lose weight since muscles weigh more compared to body fat.

Reductions in Strength & Muscle

If you stop exercising for a long period of time, your body will begin to lose strength and muscle mass, especially if you are used to doing regular exercise. According to a study conducted in 2010, athletes that are highly trained who stop working out for a period of five weeks has shown to have decreased in body strength. A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics has also shown that kids and teens that underwent resistance training losses strength and muscle mass after only six weeks.

Reduced Blood Flow to the Hippocampus

Working out helps by providing sufficient oxygen to the brain, which greatly affects overall health. A study that was published in the Frontier in Aging Neuroscience that has observed endurance runners and the effect of stopping exercise on their brains. The test subjects stopped working out for 10 days, and their MRI result showed reduced blood flow to the hippocampus area which is related to emotions and memory. Although there were no cognitive changes observed during the test, researchers, however, pointed out that more studies need to be done.

Changes in Emotions

Without exercise or stopping from doing it will result in ineffective oxygen delivery to the brain. Your body will not be able to stop chemicals that cause depression. Stopping from working out in just a small period of time will make you tired, irritable, gloomy and unable to concentrate.

Contact Woodgrove Manor for those needing a care home in Nanaimo BC.