Detraining in all aspects of fitness, from gym lovers to detraining in athletes.

We've all heard the saying. And while it's true that you will lose fitness when you stop exercising, how quickly you lose it depends on several factors, including how fit you are, how long you have been exercising and how long you stop.

Losing fitness when you stop working out is one of the key principles of conditioning. The principle of use/disuse simply means that when we stop exercising, we generally begin to decondition, and lose both strength and aerobic fitness. Most of us need to stop exercising on occasion for any number of reasons. Illness, injury, holidays, work, travel and social commitments often interfere with training routines. When this happens, we will often see a decline in our level of conditioning.

Detraining in Fit Athletes:
Deconditioning in fit athletes doesn't appear to happen as quickly or drastically as in beginning exercisers. One study looked at well-conditioned athletes who had been training regularly for a year. They then stopped exercise entirely. After three months, researchers found that the athletes lost about half of their aerobic conditioning.

Detraining in Beginning Athletes:
The outcome is much different for new exercisers. Another study followed new exercisers as they began a training program and then stopped exercise. Researchers had sedentary individuals start a bicycle fitness program for two months. During those eight weeks, the exercisers made dramatic cardiovascular improvements and boosted their aerobic capacity substantially. At eight weeks, they quit exercising for the next two months. They were tested again and were found to have lost all of their aerobic gains and returned to their original fitness levels.


Detraining and Exercise Frequency and Training levels:
Other research is looking at the effects of decreasing training level, rather than completely stopping all exercise. The results are more encouraging for athletes who need to reduce training due to time constraints, illness or injury. One study followed sedentary men through three months of strength training, three times a week. They then cut back to one session per week. They found that these men maintained nearly all the strength gains they developed in the first three months.

There are many individual differences in detraining rates so it's impossible to apply all of these study results to all athletes. But it appears that if you maintain some higher intensity exercise on a weekly basis, you can maintain your fitness levels fairly well.
Studies have shown that you can maintain your fitness level even if you need to change or cut back on you exercise for several months. In order to do so, you need to exercise at about 70 percent of your VO2 max at least once per week.
If you stop exercise completely for several months it's difficult to predict exactly how long it will take you to return to your former fitness level. After a three-month break it's unlikely that any athlete will return to peak condition in a week. In some athletes it may even take as long as three months to regain all their conditioning. The time it takes to regain fitness appears to depend on your original level of fitness and how long you've stopped exercise.

Tips for Maintaining Fitness through Breaks:
If you need to take time off from training the following tips can help you maintain your fitness.


•Don't quit completely. Try to exercise at least once per week.


•Cross Train through injuries.


•Use the Body Weight Workout (no equipment needed) when you travel.


•Use Circuit Training Routines for fast, high intensity exercise two or three times a week.


•Practice Efficient Strength Training methods.


•Use Fast Workouts to Maintain Fitness with Limited Time.


•Refresh You Motivation and Goal-Setting Skills and energize your workouts


•Remember that Rest and Recovery can be as Important as Training, so use this time to recovery.


•Add 30-Second Sprints to your outing for fast fitness


•Short, high intensity exercise burns more calories if you are limited on time.

•Maintain Endurance with Shuttle Runs

Detraining - Lower training levels or stopping training altogether can reverse a lot of these processes and this will also affect the lactate threshold

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The winter time is when not only your children are inactive but, so are you. Here are some fun suggestions that I think the whole family would enjoy while being cooped up inside your homes.

American children are more physically inactive during the winter than any other season. It is understandable why parents are keeping their small children inside. With the scare of swine flu and other colds, parents are doing their best to keep their children healthy throughout the holiday season. However, reducing a child's access to physical activity is also very unhealthy.

If parents become concerned about their child's lack of physical activity during the winter, there are several indoor exercises children can perform to get their daily exercise. The temperature outside does not have to affect your child's activity level. Parents should find creative ways to get their children active.

One positive aspect about winter time is that outdoor equipment is usually on sale, and therefore parents can get a reduced price on many items they can use indoors to motivate their child. It is the best time to stock up on jump robes, hula hoops and any other fun clearance items that parents could use to get their child off the couch and on his or her feet.

Parents could buy their children a toy that promotes exercise for Christmas. For instance, on the Little Tike's Web site, parents can purchase any of the Totsports series, which features a basketball, golf, t-ball, hockey and bowling set.

The day of passively playing video gaming are over. Video game consoles, like Wii, have created games like Wii Fit, EA Sports Active, DDR and Wii Sports Resort, that require gamers to be active.
Take your child to a local gym to swim. Swimming is not only a great source of exercise, but also a favorite summer activity that children can enjoy indoors in the winter.

Parents could sign their child up for gymnastics or other indoor sports like soccer. Gymnastic classes are offered for children as young as 2.

Parents should eat at places with an indoor playground. McDonald's, Chuck E. Cheese, or Yaya's Island in Paducah are all great places for children to play.

Take your child bowling. Many bowling alleys have kiddie lanes to help children learn how to play.

Create treasure hunts inside of your house. Put clues in opposite areas in your house so your child can get the most physical activity.

Have a jump rope or hula hoop contest with your child. You and your child can have fun with each other while exercising.

Go a roller skating or ice skating. This is a great opportunity to teach your child a new skill, and improve coordination and balance.

Yoga is for people of all ages. FitTV has daily yoga routines on TV. The whole family could find a time that works for everyone and exercise together.

Indoor exercises should be fun for everyone in the family. Keeping kids active during the winter, as well as the whole year, is the best way to insure your child a healthy lifestyle.