JUL 24, 2017

Your Cells Know When You've Quit the Gym

WRITTEN BY: Xuan Pham

Now that we're past the mid-year mark, how many people are still sticking to the exercise regimen that they had planned as part of 2017 resolutions? I will be the first to admit that I've fallen off the wagon on my exercise routine in the past few months. And my body knows it all too well.

When we drop the ball on an active lifestyle, the body responds quickly. At the cellular level, there's less oxygen floating around for muscle cells. This means muscle fatigue sets in sooner than before. Then, muscle cells start to get smaller while fat cells start getting bigger. And with each week that we stop exercising, the body continues to become more sluggish, putting us at higher risk for chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity.

Fortunately, the body rebounds just as quickly if we resume a healthy lifestyle again. So, remember that it's never too late to work out, and to avoid long extended breaks between workouts.