Here's how you stay fit during the holidays!
- Posted on
- Posted in Accessories, Cardio, Functional training, Resistance training, Strength Training, Yoga & Pilates
Holidays are about relaxing and taking a step back. Three weeks at a campsite, at home or at the beach, meaning three weeks of doing absolutely nothing. No deadlines around the corner, no compelling new notification pop-ups on your screen, no boss around with the next stack of files to go through.
And doing nothing often also means that:
- you only see the gym if you happen to drive past it on your way to the grocery store;
- your running shoes disappear in the closet because they are only in the way;
- your exercise bike is collecting dust.
In short: no fitness or muscle building. But then your body starts building something else... Holiday kilos!
It becomes a different story when you take rest for a longer period of time. After three days of rest, your built-up muscles start to break down a bit. Your body can lose fat less quickly and will store it more in the body. That's not to say you'll wake up on the third day a little overweight; the process of 'back to square one' takes more than two months.
After twelve days of rest
After about twelve days without sports, your stamina declines, after two weeks this is sometimes even by fifty percent! Your body is less able to absorb oxygen and transport it to the muscle cells. You notice that your body loses some strength, you get tired faster and you feel less fit than before. You may also see a slight increase in your blood sugar levels and blood pressure.
After five to eight weeks of rest
After five to eight weeks you really start to notice that your body continues to retain fat. You can even gain up to 12 percent more body fat than you started with! Your muscle mass, on the other hand, only decreases. Of course, this is not a fixed outcome for everyone; after all, every body is different. Age, physique and gender, for example, play a role.
With a few simple exercises that only take a little time, you can go a long way to maintain your endurance level during the holidays. Success guaranteed, after the break you no longer have to laboriously 'start over' with your training routine and the holiday kilos remain where they belong: on vacation.
Go here to discover what fits in your suitcase to stay fit during the holidays!
