Skipping Exercise Cramps Mood

Worse Moods, Dips In Fitness Seen After 2 Weeks On Sidelines

(WebMD) 
First, the participants took mood and fitness tests. Next, half were forbidden from exercising for two weeks. The others were told to follow their normal fitness routine.

The tests were repeated one and two weeks later. The results showed that the forced exercise "vacation" didn't recharge anyone's batteries. Instead, it left the former exercisers feeling worse than before.

It's one of those strange-but-true health facts: The more active you are, the more energy you have. That is, as long as you're not ill or engaging in ridiculous amounts of exercise that push the body too hard.

The CDC recommends that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five or more days per week.

No Exercise, Crummy Mood

"After one week we began to see changes," says Berlin. After two weeks, those changes had deepened. Two weeks of slothfulness had pushed the former exercisers into a grim state.

By then, they were significantly more tense, tired, and less vigorous. The more out of shape they became, the more their mood and energy level worsened. "What this tells us is that any interruption in a regular fitness routine can have a negative [impact]," says Berlin.

So what's a person to do when the weather is miserable or time seems scarcer than usual? Get creative. Tweak your routine, choosing other activities to stay physically and mentally fit, Berlin suggests.

Health care workers may also want to keep an eye out for depression symptoms in exercisers who get sidelined by injury or illness, she says.