Ever wonder what happens to your body during an extended fitness break?

Summer is rapidly coming to a close (at least where I live) and I'll bet there are a few of you out there who, like me, have taken a break from your regular workout routine. Pre-summer is a time of motivation and determination as far as exercise goes because everyone wants to look great on the beach, but once the holidays start the workouts tend to stop.

I think it's natural to take a break from time to time but until I read this, I had no idea what kind of affects time off from exercise have on the body. The article says that if you take 2 weeks off from your normal routine you can lose up to 12% of your muscle strength and 7% of aerobic endurance. Anyone who has taken the entire months of July and August off can expect to forfeit as much as 35% of muscle strength and 17% of aerobic endurance, while people who have really fallen off the workout wagon and taken 2 years off will have lost up to 50% of both muscle strength and aerobic endurance.

I am actually pretty shocked by just how fast sitting around on a lounge chair can reverse all of the hard work a person has done to get fit. If you've recently taken some time off of your regular workouts and need to get back into the game, check out the article in its entirety for tips on getting back into shape, as well as information on how long you can expect it to take.