How fast do you lose Cardio/Muscle?

[Gobias]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering how fast you lose your cardio endurance and muscle tone. I sprained my ankle & detached 3 ligaments about 3.5 wks ago and have been inactive trying to let it heal. Over the weekend I felt like I was able to do Stretch Max and was fine on the sitting stretches. I then thought I could do upper body work (as long as I was sitting). I got winded from lifting the weights and noticed my normal weights seemed very heavy. And I got winded from push-ups.

I have never gotten winded from weight training videos before. I knew I would lose some muscle but the cardio loss depresses me. I am worried I am going to keep losing cardio endurance since I have a few more weeks to heal. I know it is important to heal (and I couldn't try to cheat my healing time even if I tried due to the pain).

Doing cardio for the last couple of decades has really helped my asthma and I started wheezing (slightly) so I know I won't be able to get right back into cardio - I will have to take it very slow. I hate that since I was in such great cardio shape. It seems like with asthma it takes twice the strength to catch your breath.

I didn't think I would lose cardio that fast...but I have been seriously inactive for 3.5 wks. I even tried waving my hands in the air yesterday to see if that would raise my heart rate - but it didn't.

Guess I'll at least stick to the stretching & upper body in the meantime.

 

[hula_girl]

I had a leg injury a while back and I found that I lost my cardio endurance very quickly. On the upside, however, it came back quicker than I thought it would. I was stressed that it would take as long as it did when I first started exercising regularly two years ago, but gladly it didn't. If your body is or was used to a certain level I think it will return fairly easily.

As for strength, my legs are still weak and for most of my lower body weight training I still have to use my body weight. If I try to push it I feel my injury try to flare up. So, oddly I can do almost all my running and jumping and stepping, but weights are still iffy.

Hang in there, it'll all come back with patience and time

Shelby

 

[Stebby]

Hi,

I had an ACL reconstruction in 1999. I was completely off the injured leg for 5 weeks. I had physio exercises for it, which were all assisted and performed sitting or lying. Other than that, I did no lower body work. What I did do, though, was learn to get around really well on crutches. I got incredibly strong in my upper body, and "going for walks" around the block on crutches every day kept my cardio in reasonably good shape. After 5 weeks on crutches I could do something like 50 pushups in a row on my toes.

When I got the OK to put my weight on my injured leg again, it was scary how much strength I'd lost. Also, the injured leg measured nearly 3 inches less than the healthy one, around the thigh. It took a long time to build the strength back, and for the next two years, it was easy to overdo it without realizing it ... which would cause flare-ups that lasted for a couple of weeks. It did gradually improve, but it literally took 2 years for me to get my lower body strength back to where it had been. The good thing is, although it was slow, I did see steady progress. Now, 12 years later, I can do pretty much what I want, including all Cathe's DVDs and INSANITY (did a full round last year, currently in my first week on The Asylum).

I'm not sure if you are using / able to use crutches, but if not, the stretching and upper body work (you should throw core in there too) will definitely help, and will keep your body in the habit of getting some sort of exercise. I know it is frustrating not being able to do everything you want right now, but in the grand scheme of things, a few weeks or even a few months is just a blip. Shelby is right - just hang in there, do what you can, and be patient with yourself. You will heal!

Stebby

 

[Katerchen]

The body basically reverses cardiovascular endurance and muscle tissue as soon as you stop using it, as early as two days after working out.

But it is easy to get your achievements back because of muscle memory. It will not take as long to achieve your peak physical condition the second time as it took you to get there the first time.

 

[112toGuru]

Does this matter on how old you are and how much time has passed in between?

Or is there a point where you would only regain a percentage of what you had?

 

[wendybdh]

I herniated a disc in November and basically laid in bed for 1 month. Then in January I had surgery and couldn't do anything till March. I was really depressed when I started back because I had lost soo much strength and cardio endurance. However, it does come back surprisingly fast. I started back with STS and that has really helped push me back into where I want to be. Hang in there and give yourself time to heal and you'll be back to your old self in no time! Good luck.

 

[RapidBreath]

People with your injury just need to heal. I know it really sucks, but don't worry about how much fitness you have lost because your body knows how to do it, it will remember and take much less time to improve back up to your level of fitness the second time than it did the first time.

I hope you feel better soon,

Hugs!

 

[Gobias]

Thanks everyone.

Glad to hear it will come back fairly quickly. I was just surprised that I got winded from basically doing chest presses. I swear by next week I will be sweating just opeing the DVD case!

My right calf is about the size of my arm from no use. It looks funny. I can't really use crutches for another reason, so have been wheeling around in a chair (although I do kind of use my good foot to propel me).

I am not looking forward to getting back into shape in the summertime. I live in the SCORCHING desert and don't like to sweat. I always have 3 fans and a ceiling fan blowing on me - even in the winter when I exercise. And I only workout in minimal clothing. For some reason when I sweat (a lot), I just don't feel like I am being optimal. And I was sweating doing my chest presses.

That would be interesting to know if age plays a factor (previous poster asked). I would assume so. That and previous fitness level. I have always noticed a huge difference in my asthma when I do and don't exercise. To be honest, that was the only reason I started doing cardio - improve lung function since I have had such problems my entire life. Then I started to see body results - a big plus. Then I started weight training.

Thanks again.