You may find yourself unable to make it up the stairs without feeling weak in your legs. Standing up from a lower chair becomes more of a struggle. Your arms may even ache when bringing your groceries in from the car.
You want to just jump back into your routine after being inactive for months and assume that your body will follow.
However, you need to build yourself up from what your body is currently capable of.
What you’ll learn:
- What Changes After Months of Inactivity
- How Warm Water Therapy Fits Into Recovery
- Start With Movements You Actually Need
- Build a Routine You Can Repeat
- Give Your Body Time to Recover
- Look for Progress Outside the Workout
- Know When to Get Professional Advice
- Wrapping It Up
What Changes After Months of Inactivity
There is less opportunity for your muscles to contract against force if you’re not using them as much. Not only does your body lose strength, but you can also find it harder to complete certain movements. You may lose stamina, stability and feel less confident as well.
Of course, not all people will be starting from the same place after being inactive. If you sit at your desk for 6 months, your body will have adapted differently than someone who was bed bound for 6 months following a surgical procedure.
This was highlighted in research conducted by a Meta Analysis that included 1,754 participants. The review examined exercise during hospital stays and bed rest, as well as exercise after disuse. Preventive exercise helped protect strength in some settings; evidence for recovery after disuse was less conclusive.
There is no set number of weeks that your body will regain its previous level of strength after weeks of being inactive. As this will depend on why your body has become immobile and what activities you can safely perform.
How Warm Water Therapy Fits Into Recovery
If you are finding it difficult to complete activities that require dry land, warm water can help. Having water around your body takes some pressure off your muscles and allows them to move without putting too much resistance against them.
As mentioned previously, your muscles have to work to overcome resistance in water.
Walking can be practised on an underwater treadmill if available at your local facility. Whether your facility uses Hydro Physio treadmills or if they have a pool system, the principles of walking remain the same. Under therapist supervision, this equipment can support walking practice at a manageable pace, under supervision from a therapist.
Water exercise can be one option, but it should not be your sole method of rehabilitating yourself after being inactive.
Ensure you speak to your physio before starting if you have a wound, infection, cardiac issues or respiratory issues.
Start With Movements You Actually Need
Don’t think of a workout that you used to do before being inactive. Instead, think about what you are unable to do.
Are you unable to get up from the sofa, carry your washing upstairs, or walk to your nearest shop?
You can begin by practising these activities and creating a basic routine such as:
- Getting up from a chair
- Walking around your neighbourhood, house or to a nearby shop
- Practise weight bearing onto both legs, you can hold onto your kitchen counter to help.
- Once you feel more confident, you can introduce a resistance band, or other light strength based activities.
You don’t have to do all of these, you can just do what your body is currently able to do.
Quality is key, don’t force yourself to complete each repetition you are not comfortable with. Focus on completing one movement well, instead of several movements badly.
Speak to a doctor or physio about what you should be doing if you are suffering from balance problems, have pain, or have been told to limit weight-bearing through your legs.
Build a Routine You Can Repeat
Once you have completed your workout, resist the temptation to go back to your old workout routine.
Choose a lower quantity than what you think you’ll be able to achieve, complete these exercises, and monitor your body throughout the day. Once you feel comfortable, you can gradually increase the difficulty of your exercise routine.
According to the NHS, they recommend that between the ages of 19 to 64 you should do some form of strength training twice a week, focusing on your major muscle groups. Again, these are recommendations and may differ for you depending on the illness, injury or other reason for your inactivity.
Try to not increase too many factors in your workouts, increase the repetitions, distance, or difficulty of the resistance and keep the others static until you feel comfortable.
Your walk won’t be replacing your strength workouts, both have a role to play in rehabilitating yourself after being inactive.
Give Your Body Time to Recover
Exercise isn’t the only factor that plays a role in your body gaining strength, you also need to allow your body time to recover.
You may feel a bit sore after performing new exercises, however if you are experiencing sharp pain or pain around your joints, stop your workout and consult a medical professional.
Over exerting yourself can lead to excessive tiredness, if you can’t complete basic activities of your day, then your workout may be too much for your body. Speak to your doctor or physio about any signs you are noticing, they can provide you with tailored advice based on your needs. Always remember, you should not increase your exercise intensity without consulting your doctor first.
As well as resting, try and make sure you eat, drink, sleep and complete your normal day to day activities after your workout.
On days that you struggle, reduce your amount, it doesn’t mean that you are not making progress.
Look for Progress Outside the Workout
Instead of monitoring how much weight you used to be able to lift, or how many stairs you can climb without getting winded, monitor a daily activity that you struggle with.
Every couple of weeks, test yourself on this task, and see if it is taking you less time, or if you require less support to complete the task. Don’t expect to be sore after each workout, that is not the aim of this article.
You will experience ups and downs, don’t let a bad day throw you, as long as your overall outcome is showing an improvement, continue!
Know When to Get Professional Advice
As mentioned, if you have become inactive due to an illness, or your body has become injured, speak to a doctor, they may tell you to avoid certain activities or help you understand where to start.
They will also be able to refer you to a physio, who can help you rehabilitate your body to a standard that you are happy with.
Always make sure to speak to your GP if you have any concerns regarding exercise, and seek immediate medical help if you experience chest pains, fainting, or extreme breathlessness when exercising. If you notice any swelling, feeling light headed, increased pain or feeling excessively fatigued, you should seek medical help and not increase your activity level.
Consulting a professional can give you a clearer idea on what you can do to improve your current activity levels, and prevent you from causing further harm to your body.
Wrapping It Up
When regaining your strength, don’t try to achieve the workouts that you once did, instead, find ways that you can better your day to day lifestyle and focus on those.