When you are away from the gym for a long time for reasons such as pandemic-induced lockdowns, you are bound to lose some of the gains you meticulously made. The phenomenon, called detraining, happens to the best of us and leads us to end up with a smaller and weaker frame. But, don’t stress over it too much as it is totally reversible due to muscle memory. Find a personal trainer near you.
If you are still a little worried that you may lose your gains, please continue reading as in this article, we will tell you exactly how your muscles will be affected by not going to the gym.
1. A Decrease In Muscle Strength
When you are off the gym for a while, you’ll notice that your muscles are getting smaller and weaker. Your muscle endurance will start plummeting, especially if you have been used to high-intensity exercises. While muscle mass can return once you get back to the gym, it is worth noting that a 12-week-long absence from training leads to substantially decreased muscle mass.
2. A Rise In The Level Of Fat
As your muscle mass decreases, your metabolism slows down. This ensures that your muscles aren’t as efficient as they once were when it comes to burning fat. Due to this, visceral fat or also known as belly fat makes its way into your body.
If you don’t adjust your diet in accordance with the lack of activity, then those extra calories are likely to find a place in your body and deposit as fat. This is what experts refer to as a negative effect on body composition, and it is characterized by weight gain and a decrease in the metabolism rate.
3. Insulin Resistance In Skeletal Muscle
During workouts, the muscles in our body process insulin and absorb the glucose that is produced as energy. When we reduce the use of that energy by not going to the gym, the muscles will adapt accordingly and become less insulin sensitive. This is not desirable, as poor regulation of insulin in the body has been shown to lead to conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and inflammation.
How To Reduce Muscle Loss While You Are Off The Gym
There are a variety of methods by which you can slow down the deterioration of your fitness when you are not training.
Consume enough protein to minimize muscle loss. Also, make sure that other aspects of your nutrition are on point so that you are functioning optimally and can return to the gym without any issues.
If your break from the gym is due to an injury, try working out a part of the body that is not injured.
Try light activities such as yoga, bike riding, or walking to get the blood flowing.
If you aren’t finding time for workouts, you can break down your workout regimen into two sessions a week or even one if you follow the right workout program.
If you are concerned that you will lose all of your hard-earned muscle mass, you can hire a personal trainer that can help you out during these challenging times.
