The Studies Are In: Maybe Don't Take that Break

Fitness + Wellness

Aug 27

It happens. You are on a much-needed and deserved vacation. Maybe you are with a friend, your family, your sweetheart, or maybe just getting away on your own. The temptation is to take a break from everything -- work, email and social media, even Netflix. Or maybe it's just a crazy busy time of year. Kids heading back to school, activities ramping up, and something has got to give in the schedule. Whatever the reason, you decide it's a good time to take a break from exercise.Please reconsider. And here's why: new research tells us taking even a short break from your regular exercise routine can have lasting – and seriously negative – effects on your health.

WHAT?!

The subjects of a ground-breaking study had previously walked for more than 10,000 steps on most days. They were asked to sit more (3.5 hours per day more) and cut their steps to fewer than 2,000. At the beginning of the study, the subjects’ metabolisms and body compositions were recorded.After two weeks, well, the scientists who conducted the study called the results “metabolic derangements.” Yikes. In other words, their metabolisms had completely changed.In just two weeks.Yes, even just a two-week break, and the effects showed clearly in their blood tests, including the following:

Increased blood sugar levels
Less healthy cholesterol profiles
Lost muscle mass in legs
INCREASED belly fat

Another study focused on the effects of decreased activity on overweight people past the age of 65 who were at risk for developing diabetes. They were otherwise healthy and walked, on average, 7,000 to 8,000 steps per day. They were asked to sit more and to reduce their steps below 1,000 for two weeks.The effects:

Worsened blood sugar levels
Insulin resistance climbed
Lost muscle mass
And a number had to be removed from the study due to increased risk for Diabetes Type 2 after becoming inactive for that short a period of time.

The scientists found the more sudden the inactivity, the more drastic the effects. Additionally, with sudden change comes greater effects on insulin resistance levels. Worst yet, although it may be only a two-week break from exercise, it takes at least twice as long to get back to the “normal” levels of the above-mentioned health metrics.So stay as active as you can!

fitness on the run

Adrien Cotton

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ADRIEN COTTON believes the greatest gift you can give to yourself is the gift of wellness.

After serving in high-leverage professional roles, including being one of the youngest Communications Directors in the US House of Representatives, Adrien pivoted her career focus to helping clients capture their strength in all areas of life. An accomplished speaker, entrepreneur, corporate wellness educator, menopause expert, and wellness coach, Adrien has proven success in designing and implementing innovative wellness programs.

With a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University, Adrien sharpened her professional skills by working with individuals from all walks of life. This unique background allows her to tailor her services for each and every client, with optimization and long-lasting success as the goal. Her effectiveness is rooted in a solid foundation of growth-oriented principles, a proven history of helping clients transform their lives, and a deep level of relatability gained from her personal wellness journey.

Since founding her wellness enterprise, Adrien leverages her fitness and wellness background to guide people from a state of giving up to a place of proactive self-care. Her work extends beyond nutrition and exercise, emphasizing lifestyle and high-impact areas of focus visually represented in her Wellness Wheel. Incorporating strategies in stress resilience, sleep, calendar management, mindfulness, and menopause, she’s helped transform hundreds of lives.

Adrien is living her mission to support clients in shifting their mindsets and helping them leverage small habits that yield lasting results.