Three days of no exercise changes into a week of not exercising and suddenly your last workout is almost two weeks ago. Can you get out of shape so quickly?
You really don't have to exercise every day. Rest days are good for your body, especially if you have followed a heavy workout, your muscles need time to recover.
Read also: 'Why varying workouts is good for your body'
If you have been exercising often for a while, your body can more easily return to its old level after a period of rest. This involves exercising several times a week for about a year. Your muscles then have a so-called 'muscle memory'. After about 2.5 weeks of not exercising, you will lose muscle strength. Your cardio fitness decreases faster. According to a study, after just 12 days you would have seven percent fewer enzymes in your blood that are associated with endurance training.
If you haven't been exercising that long, then it's different. You lose your strength faster, but in most cases you are even stronger after a few months than before you started exercising. You lose your endurance for cardio faster.
The older you get, the faster you get out of shape. Your health also plays a role, as does the level at which you exercise. It also depends on why you don't exercise. When you are sick, you lose your accumulated strength more quickly. If you are not sick and still exercise every now and then, it can just take five weeks before you notice anything.
