As the holiday season approaches and workouts start taking the backseat to parties and shopping we often hear one of the top concerns and top myths of the fitness industry: If I stop working out I’m scared that my muscle will turn to fat.
Note: Those recently granted 3 wishes by a Genie or holding skills equivalent to David Blaine may move on to the next blog. If none of the above applies, continue reading…
Muscle and fat ( impress your friends by calling it adipose tissue) are two completely different types of tissues. You can’t change fat into muscle, and fear not…if you stop working out your muscle will not turn into fat. So then why does it often feel that way?
When you stop performing strength training exercises, a little thing called atrophy happens. Atrophy is the opposite of hypertrophy, and basically means that your muscle mass is decreasing and that the area is losing strength. Combine that with poor diet and an expanding waistline and it gives the appearance and the sensation of muscle turning into fat.
The solution? Even in the midst of your busy holiday schedule, maintain regular workouts. If you find that 60 minutes is too much to fit in, instead of eliminating your workout entirely why not shorten the workout and increase the intensity by completing interval training. Another great idea is to cross-train by switching your mode of cardio training or testing out a completely new method of fitness. Our suggestion to combat the stress of the season is our ZenRock Yoga class. ZenRock yoga combines the mind-soothing|relaxation benefits of Vinyasa yoga with the benefits of low-impact strength training. Suitable for all fitness levels and just one hour in length, this is the perfect class to fit into your holiday schedule!
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