Have you had a really busy week at work? Or have you been off with the kids and not had time to get out for a run?
Or have you picked up an injury or an illness?
Whatever the reason,
If you've had time off, it can really play on your mind and make you wonder how much fitness this
time off has cost you?
I'm Sarah and in today's video, I'm gonna be going through how quickly we lose fitness.
First though
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So, fitness,
where do I start?
Well, first of all, it's important to note that there are two different types of fitness. Aerobic fitness
and structural fitness.
What are they and why are they different?
Let's start with aerobic fitness.
So, aerobic is defined as relating to involving or requiring free
oxygen, and it refers to the use of oxygen to meet energy demands during a run.
Basically, it centers around endurance, how long you can maintain a pace for on a
run before hitting exhaustion.
Every big fitness is built up the more you do any exercise that increases your heart
rate, like swimming, cycling, or running.
A good way of measuring your aerobic fitness level is through your Vo2 max, which is
now often measured on most smartwatches. Though it isn't as accurate as getting it done in the lab,
it does give you a rough indication of your aerobic fitness level.
If you want to learn more about Vo2 max, then go and check out our video 'What is Vo2 two max?'.
Another simple way of measuring improvements to your aerobic fitness is through your long runs.
If the pace gets faster or the distance gets easier, then this is an indication that your
aerobic fitness is improving.
So there are two ways of increasing your Vo2 max.
The first is by increasing the amount of blood going to your heart, which you can do through
exercising at a high intensity.
The recommended effort would be 90 to 95% of your maximum heart rate, which you can roughly
work out by doing 220 minus your age.
But if you want a more accurate way of measuring your maximum heart rate, then check out a video all about it.
The second way is interval training, not something universally loved by runners,
but it can be really effective at increasing your Vo2 max.
In fact, a 2013 study found that frequent interval training has more dramatic
effects on your VO two max than your long runs do.
But most coaches would recommend a combination of the two for the best results.
Lots of studies have shown that the most effective way of increasing your VO two max is by using
a 10 week training plan with a combination of high intensity and interval
training consisting of six sessions a week in order to improve your Vo2 max.
However, most running coaches would recommend a combination of the two, and it's worth noting
that this is obviously a very high level, so you need to build up a base of fitness
before doing this.
So what about if you're new to running?
Well, the good news is you will be able to boost your Vo2 max at a much quicker rate, with
results averaging around the 4 to 6 week mark, but the way to get there is largely the same.
You need to do a mixture of high intensity and interval training, but it will be a much less
intense regime than someone who's already been running for a while, because the more you run and the
fitter you get, the harder it is to boost your Vo2 max.
So what happens to that built up fitness when we take a break from running?
How quickly do we lose it?
Well, us runners tend to assume that it goes all out the window, but that's not strictly
true, and it can have a lot to do with when you started running.
If you're an experienced runner who's out multiple times a week, then any aerobic fitness lost through a
short period of no running or exercise will be minimal.
The fitness that you've developed over years of consistent training will likely take months to deteriorate.
So a few weeks off because of illness or injury is nothing to worry about.
The best way to look at it is that running is a lifestyle not just a sport.
So the longer you've spent maintaining that lifestyle, the longer that it will take to go.
A study conducted in the University of Texas found that when seven endurance trained athletes
ceased all activity for a prolonged period of time, their Vo2 max only went down by
7% after 21 days on average.
But if you're a new runner then a long period without running could impact your aerobic
fitness significantly faster.
This is because your body hasn't had enough time to adapt and so it will quickly resort back to your
pre running state.
7-14 days seems to be the average length of time.
So if you are injured or ill, is there anything that you can do to ensure that you don't lose fitness.
If you are ill
the best thing that you can do is rest and recover.
If you do try to push through it, then you're only gonna make things worse for yourself later down the line.
If you are able to go out for a walk or do some kind of low level aerobic exercise, then this
will definitely help. If you are injured but want to maintain fitness, then it might be worth trying out
cross training, assuming that the cross training isn't gonna make the injury worse though.
You probably want to choose exercises that are less demanding on your body to like, for example,
pool running or swimming, it still uses the cardiovascular system, but without
the same impact as running going through your body and joints.
If you do want to learn more about cross training, then check out our video.
But if you have any doubts about the exercises that you're doing, then definitely check with a medical
professional first.
And it's also worth noting that it's not going to be a like for like replacement.
30 minutes swim probably isn't gonna be the same as a 30 minute easy run.
So that's aerobic fitness,
but what about structural? Well structural fitness centers around the ability of your muscles,
bones, tendons and ligaments to cope with the impacts of running. Runners often need a
higher level of structural fitness compared to in other sports like cycling because of that
repetitive impact over a prolonged period of time. Structural fitness is
incredibly important because it helps prevent picking up injuries, but it does take a
long time to develop.
This is why new runners can often pick up injuries if they go too far or too fast too
quickly because their body simply isn't ready for it.
And this can lead to problems like shin, splints, stress fractures or joint pain.
So how quickly do we lose structural fitness?
Well, the unfortunate reality is it takes much longer to develop structural fitness,
but it declines much faster than aerobic.
So if you take a week off running and then dive straight back into 3 to 5 runs a week,
you're probably going to feel very stiff come sunday.
I know I do.
And you'll probably have a few aches and pains as well.
This is because although your cardiovascular fitness is still in tip top shape, your structural
fitness will have slightly declined.
So what can you do to slow down or prevent the decline?
Well, it's not something else runners are very good at, but strength is going to be the best
remedy and prevention technique.
So if you are taking a break from running, if you can mix in some light strength or even stretching or
yoga, then this is going to help maintaining that structural fitness.
And when you're not on a break from running, building in some strength work will help to maintain that
structural fitness and prevent it from declining at a quicker rate.
So don't skip s and c. When you do start running again after a break,
whether that's a few days or much longer, you can start to feel, how do I put this? Rubbish.
Don't worry, it's completely normal.
But it can be really disheartening if you're not expecting it. Even after a few days off, whether that's for
a cold or a niggling injury, you can start to feel like it was your first run ever.
You're breathing more heavily.
Something doesn't feel quite right and it starts to feel like you're a million miles away from where your fitness was.
Remember that it's a triumph to be out running again and that it's completely normal to feel
like this.
And hopefully after a few runs, this feeling will start to go away and you'll start to see quick improvements.
Just be patient.
In fact, not resting after a long training period followed by a big
race can actually be detrimental to your running performance as it can lead to overtraining.
and Injury. Evidence suggests that resting for 7 to 10 days after a long
run or a marathon has very little effect on your fitness.
And in fact, the overall benefits to your health and fitness long term, massively
outweigh any tiny percentage of fitness lost.
So rest up,
you deserve it.
No matter how long you rest for or take off running, the greatest challenge your face will
likely be mental.
A negative mindset can have a huge impact on your running.
So if you go out thinking you've lost fitness, the likelihood is it's going to feel like you have, so try and stay
positive, you haven't lost as much ground as you thought.
Have you worried about losing fitness or have you struggled when returning to running? Or have you got any
fitness tips for us?
Let us know in the comments and we will see you next time on the Running channel.