Deconditioning

JK Fitness Consulting
Aug 22, 2016
2 min read

deconditioning

(dē″kŏn-dĭsh′ŭ-nĭng)

A loss of physical fitness due to failure to maintain an optimal level of physical activity or training. In activity for any reason may lead to deconditioning. For example, individuals placed on prolonged bedrest may experience overall deconditioning of the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, and respiratory

systems.

That is the Medical Dictionary definition of deconditioning. Have you ever heard the saying "use it or lose it"? We hear this time and time again under various circumstances. Brain power, cardiovascular fitness, and of course muscle strength. If we don't use those muscles we have worked so hard to develop, we will lose that muscle mass. And it can be much more quickly than you think! While how quickly the effects of detraining can set in is highly dependant on your age, how fit you are, how long you have been training, and what type of training you have been doing and at what level, in general, inactivity for a period of 14 days or more (that's 2 weeks folks!) can have a significant impact on muscular and cardiovascular fitness. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the loss in cardiovascular fitness gains have been shown to be more significant than muscular loss.

How long will it take you to regain those losses after injury or illness? Well, once again it depends on your previous fitness level and how long you have been deconditioning. It is hard to predict. A hiatus of 3 months for a beginner exerciser who had only been training for 3 months could bring them back to ground zero and it will take as long to return to the previous fitness levels as it took them to get there in the first place, while a seasoned fitness veteran may only lose half of their training gains in that same amount of time and will have an easier time getting back into shape.

Here are some tips if you need to take time off from exercising due to injury or illness

Try not to quit completely but continue to do modified exercise at least once per week.
Focus your exercise plan on areas that are not injured (eg. performing non-weight bearing upper body and core strength work while recovering from a lower body injury)
Revise your short-term and long-term goals to focus on recovery and to maintain vice improve your current fitness levels. Use this time to recover.
BE PATIENT! (words of wisdom I should be focusing on myself!)

Sources

http://www.studiomix.com/recovering-deconditioning-syndrome/