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I have had so much time on my hands since I quit exercising. Dropping my workout routine has made things so much less stressful. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. But anyway, should we hang out? Preferably indoors. Maybe relax on the couch and watch TV. Anything that doesn’t involve me standing and doing something physical.
I’ve been exhausted lately. Wait for a second, do you think it’s because I stopped exercising? It can’t be. Are there immediate effects on your body when you quit? Can I suffer mood swings? Will I lose all my muscles? Hang on, does the shape of my BRAIN start to change? Let’s talk about 7 things that happen when you stop exercising.
Things That Happen When You Stop Exercise
1. Your Blood Pressure Increases
Come to think of it, this is probably why I’ve been feeling so tense. My heart feels like it’s about to burst out of my chest. Have you ever seen the movie Alien? Considering many people start exercising to combat high blood pressure, this one kind of hurts. Unfortunately, increased pressure on the blood is one of the quickest results to take effect after quitting exercise.
Think about it, you’re involved in a healthy workout routine. One that keeps your blood pressure at bay. And suddenly, You drop the routine and return to your lazy ways. This dramatic change causes your blood vessels to swiftly try and adapt. In a 2014 study, researchers discovered that just two weeks of no exercise is all you need for your blood pressure to skyrocket.
2. Your Bones Turn to Mush
VOICE OF VIEWER: Wait, that doesn’t sound right at all. Are you telling me the truth? Okay, that was just to get your attention. Your bones don’t just start melting once you quit your workouts. Imagine if they did though. It would make one heck of a gym promo. Joking aside, lack of exercise does have some serious long-term effects on your bones. When we hit the gym, our workouts cause our bones to develop new tissue, making them much more durable. If we are not working out, our bones will not have the fuel to develop new tissue, over time growing weak and putting us at risk of osteoporosis as we get older.
3. You Experience Mood Swings
I know I’ve been coming off a little cranky lately. To be honest, I think my lack of exercise might be the reason. It doesn’t matter if it’s coffee, cigarettes, or hard drugs. If you indulge in something to the point of it being a necessity, you’ll become addicted. Working out is no different. It is recommended that the average adult seek around 150 minutes of exercise a week. This way you can maintain your health.
But keep in mind that if you’re involved in a frequent workout routine, you better make sure you stick with it. Frequent workouts stimulate both body and mind. Your brain grows so accustomed to this activity that it begins fiending for that adrenaline rush. It’s no wonder that once you quit working out, your mood will instantly shift from happy to sad. You can also begin feeling self-conscious about your appearance. If you suffer from depression, dropping exercise can be a detriment to your mental health.
In one study conducted, subjects worked out 90 minutes a week for over three months. After stopping, many exhibited depressive symptoms after only three days. Mental health is important. If you’d like to learn more about some exercises that could benefit your state of mind, check out our article on 8 Exercises That Can Eliminate Your Anxiety. If you’d also like to hear about daily activities that can bring down your mood, click on 7 Daily Activities That Can Cause Depression. Now back to the matter at hand.
4. Your Blood Sugar Spikes
Did someone say sugar? I feel like I have too much in my blood right now. Well, it’s not for sure or anything, but I’ve read that’s what happens. Hang on, so you are tellin’ me that your blood sugar and your blood pressure both shoot up? You got it. This might be a result that’s often brushed over but is equally as important as the first three things we’ve talked about. It’s said that after about 5 days of dropping your workout routine, your blood sugar will surely rise.
Our levels of blood glucose naturally elevate after consuming a meal but are eventually absorbed by our tissue. This is so we gather energy for our workouts. But if you’ve canceled your daily trips to the gym and opted for that comfy piece of furniture in your living room, your blood sugar has nothing to be put towards, leaving it lingering in your system and increasing with every meal. If you’re a burger-and-fry type of person, watch out! An increase in blood sugar can out to the risk of diabetes and heart disease. My urge to start exercising is getting stronger every minute.
5. Your Body Will Explode
Not a freakin chance! This is a bald-faced lie and you know it! Haha, just kidding. I had to make sure you’re still with me. Let us confirm before the science nerds jump on us. Your body DO NOT explode if you stop working out. But if you do happen to stop hitting the gym, your body begins to hurt after a while. This can range from odd aches and pains to pulling muscles.
You don’t want to bend over and not be able to stand back up. Now that’s just embarrassing, especially if you’re 26. Pumping iron fuels your ligaments, helping them maintain strength. Cutting your workouts will deprive your tissue of blood flow and oxygenation, causing these same ligaments to grow insensitivity. This can cause your body to hurt as you get older.
6. Your Muscles Will Begin To Shrink
No, this isn’t some lame joke we made up to throw you off. For all, your muscle heads out there, stick to your workout routine, seriously. Those giant biceps you’re oh so proud of can fade away pretty quickly if you fall off. Just imagine a balloon. One that gradually inflates as air is slowly pumped inside. This is a lot like how your muscles work. Instead of air, they are inflated through constant exercise.
Exercise oxygenates your tissues, which helps grow muscles. So yeah, I guess muscles also use air. But in the same way, your muscles can inflate with workouts, they can also deflate when those workouts stop. This is known in the fancy science community as “muscle atrophy”, the process of muscles fading away and getting smaller. According to studies, a person can begin experiencing muscle atrophy within two to six weeks of cutting exercise.
Certain factors including your age and workout consistency should also be taken into consideration. So if you’ve got arms like tree trunks, you might want to keep up the powerlifting. Come to think of it, arms like tree trunks aren’t that attractive. You might want to wait a couple of weeks before your next lift. Get those puppies looking less like Greek Gods, and more like a regular human being.
7. Your Brain Gradually Changes
Now hopefully you guys have been waiting for this one. When we teased it back in the intro, we said that quitting exercise could potentially cause your brain to change. By “change”, please don’t think we meant the shape of your brain or the weight or anything like that. I know I said shape, but. I just want your love and attention. We’re talking about the brain’s chemicals, which are also pretty serious. In a study conducted on athletes, each individual was asked to take 10 days off exercising. As a result, each athlete showed less blood flow to the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is a small area in the brain tasked with forming new memories. If it doesn’t get the proper blood flow it needs, a person could suffer from memory loss over time. Just to let you know, this doesn’t mean that a week’s break from the gym is going to make you forget your birthday or anything. But if your brain isn’t getting the oxygen and blood flow it usually receives from your workouts, your hippocampus may not be happy.
