While we wish it was, getting fit isn’t an overnight thing. There are some benefits to regular exercise that you’ll begin to notice right away, but feeling in shape can totally depend on a number of factors.
This includes what shape you’re in at your starting point and how much you’re ready to commit to your new exercise regime! When eating well and feeling focused in exercise – you can start seeing some pretty awesome results in a matter of weeks.
So, how long does it take to get into shape? We take a look!
There’s nothing better than that feeling of working off a stressful day. Whether you opt for a run in the park, a HIIT class at the gym or some time lifting weights, that immediate relief post-exercise makes it all worthwhile.
As well as helping to reduce stress, exercise can boost your mood, improve your mental health and help keep up sharp. There are so many mental and physical benefits of exercise, we’d be here all day telling you how it can benefit your mind and body!
So much so, that some exercise can provide pain relief from conditions such as arthritis. Of course, choosing the right type of exercise is key.
If weight loss is your aim, think of every workout as a step closer to achieving your goals! While you may not necessarily see the effects after each workout, leaving a session drenched in sweat will tell you you’re heading in the right direction!
All of these positive and healthy choices add up. But it’s important to not beat yourself up if you miss a workout. Simply pick up where you lift off the next day. So, immediate effects aside, how long does it take to get in shape?
While it’s common to wonder, how long does it take to get fit, or get in shape – there is no one-size-fits-all timeline, unfortunately! Since there are several ways to measure fitness or ‘getting into shape’, this type of timeline can be different from one person to the next.
Many report that cardio exercise begins to feel easier within a couple of weeks, showing proof that they are getting fitter.
So, how can you measure that you’re getting into shape? By setting achievable goals.
When you set goals for yourself, it can not only help us feel more motivated, but also measure how we’re progressing with exercise.
Start off simple with your goals. Whether it’s 10 minutes on a treadmill, soon upping it to 15, or increasing the weight you’re lifting.
How long does it take to get into shape? A healthy diet and overall healthy lifestyle play a crucial role in your timeline.
If we consider ‘getting into shape’ to be a reflection of your overall health and fitness, if you were exercising but eating badly, you wouldn’t have the same results as an all-round healthy lifestyle.
Many saturated and processed foods can play havoc with your health. These can affect your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and heart health. So, how can you get fit? Although exercise plays a major role, it needs to be paired with a healthy diet, too.
But let’s kick fad diets to the curb – as these diets simply aren’t sustainable. If you’re at the higher end of the scales, gradual weight loss – paired with exercise – is the result of small changes to your lifestyle.
Following a healthy diet:
It can feel like a struggle to make dramatic changes to a poor diet. In order to make a shift into a healthier lifestyle, you can start off small by paying attention to what you currently eat. Replace fatty foods with lean meats, fruit, nuts and plenty of vegetables.
If you find yourself tempted to snack, it could be that your main meals are not filling enough. In this case, try adding some filling and slow-releasing foods, such as oats and sweet potatoes.
You can’t get fit without some exercise! So, how long does it take to get in shape? Studies suggest that it’s an ongoing process, with 6 weeks of working out not quite equalling getting into shape.
However, during the study, participants carried out either control, strength or cardiovascular training for an average of 34mins each – three times a week. While every small session of exercise will have you working towards your goals, many of us work out for longer, more than three times a week.
Also Read: How to get back into working out after Covid
When trying to work out, how long does it take to get fit – it can totally depend on your goals and need for strength, shedding body fat, endurance and general weight loss. For example, if you’re aiming to run a marathon, the level of fitness you would need would vary greatly from improving fitness levels to run up the stairs and do everyday tasks!
When you fall out of love with your fitness goals, or simply find yourself slipping out of the gym, it can feel harder to get back into shape.
Try not to beat yourself up about where you’re current fitness levels are, and look for ways to start off slow. Sure, you might not be able to jump back on the treadmill for an hour at a time, but even the smallest amount of exercise will get you in the right direction!
How long it takes to get fit, or get back into shape can depend on your goals. The time it may take to start seeing differences in your fitness levels can depend greatly on what you’re trying to achieve.
Whether you’re looking to:
The answer as to how long it will take to get “fit” varies for each of these goals. For example, if you’re looking to shed pounds and bulk up, this isn’t going to be an overnight result.
If you have been out of shape, or haven’t exercised for some time (or at all), it can typically take around eight weeks of exercise multiple times a week to get yourself to a moderate fitness level.
Whereas if you’re happy with your bodyweight and want to improve your endurance, cardio exercises will show quicker results.
For those starting out, two weeks can be enough to begin feeling the benefits!
For many of us, our reason for getting fit isn’t just because we know we should be looking after our fitness levels.
Let’s say you’re looking to compete. If you need a huge goal to keep you motivated, the idea of working towards running a 5 or 10k race or marathon can help you to measure how your fitness levels improve.
But before jumping into a race or a marathon, why not test your fitness with an obstacle course for a bit of fun? There are plenty of ways to increase your endurance levels.
Not every exercise session needs to be in the gym, however. If you prefer something a little less competitive and don’t want to feel as though you’re working out, opt for backpacking, cycling or even kayaking.
Also Read: Best Compound Exercises for Beginner Lifters
Your fitness levels when you get started can help determine how long it t takes to get into shape. As well as the type of exercise you choose. If you were once able to swim plenty of laps and fell out of your exercise regime, jumping back in the pool won’t mean you can instantly return to where you left off.
However, if you’re entering into cardio exercise that you haven’t tried before, it can affect you differently as a beginner. While the first session may feel tiring, it’s totally worth it!
Keep going!
Still wondering, how long does it take to get in shape? Since it can be so different for everyone, there is no one answer. However, this will greatly depend on your starting point – both in your fitness levels, weight and general health.
If your previous exercise routine took a backseat due to an injury, you may have to go a little slower with your exercise as to not injure yourself again.
Once you build a foundation of strength, it’ll stay with you. Making returning to strength training far easier, no matter how long a break you have from the gym!
It can be hard to find your drive when you’ve had some time away from exercise. If you start off slow and steady, with achievable goals, you’ll quickly be able to see your progress!
But if you need a boost of energy and focus, why not try BlackWolf? Our vegan-friendly formula is loaded with scientifically backed ingredients –So you receive the optimal dosage, every time, with zero crash.
There are lots of reasons you can fall “out of shape.” From injuries to waning motivation, it’s natural for your fitness to ebb and flow. The good news is, whether you were always an athlete or could never seem to stick to a workout routine, there are some tried and true methods to help you get fit again.
Physiologically speaking, being physically fit entails a holistic look at several factors: cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, mobility, (within that, flexibility and range of motion), and neuromuscular control (i.e. balance and agility), explains Heather Milton, a board-certified clinical exercise physiologist at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center.
Anecdotally, being physically fit will look and feel different for everyone, but can often mean you have good energy, feel strong, are able to perform daily functions without pain, have mental clarity, and generally just feel healthy and happy.
This subjectivity can mean getting back in shape will include different goals for different people. “Does being ‘fit’ mean that you’re able to walk all day for your job and still have energy to play with your kids, or does it mean that you’re able to crush a new mountain biking trail without injury?” says Jacqueline Crockford, an ACE-certified personal trainer. Understanding your reason why will help you maintain the motivation needed to support your goals long term.
The good news is there are steps most anyone can follow to improve their overall fitness. Here’s what to expect.
To understand how to regain fitness efficiently, it helps to know how fast your initial results can go away. You can actually lose your cardio endurance and muscle strength with two weeks of complete rest, says Milton. That doesn’t mean two weeks out you’ll have lost all your gains, but this is when you can expect the decline to start, she says. Generally, cardio endurance depletes at a slower rate than muscular strength and endurance, which has a fairly rapid decline when you stop training, adds Crockford.
A loss of physical fitness can cause a rise in blood pressure, decrease in blood oxygen levels, decreased neural-muscular efficiency and heart strength, reduced lung capacity, and even a change in your resting heart rate, explains Milton.
Age is also an important factor to consider, says Crockford. Maximal oxygen uptake (or VO2max), muscle strength and mass, and flexibility are all naturally reduced with aging, while total body mass and fat mass increase, according to a 2009 study published in the European Review of Aging and Physical Activity.
On average, if you are strictly following an evidence-based, strategically designed fitness program—meaning you have done your homework and are adhering to a specific plan—you can expect to regain your fitness in 16 weeks, says Milton. Muscular strength can begin to improve in four to six weeks with noticeable results in 12 weeks. Improvements in your cardio also follow a linear pattern, with small changes progressing bit by bit over time, she says.
“However, that’s in a vacuum,” caveats Milton. This does not account for lifestyle factors such as changes in weight, diet, health conditions, or hydration, for example—all of which can drastically impact how long it takes you to get fit again.
“The rate at which someone regains their fitness levels, in both muscular and cardiorespiratory measures, is dependent on several factors including the programming, previous fitness levels and exercise experience, as well as age,” says Crockford. How long you took off from exercise matters, too, says Milton. If it’s been a few weeks or even a few months, that’s a big difference than a few years. “If it’s less than a year, you’re starting back at maybe 50 percent of where you left off and slowly building back from there,” she says.
The first step is setting a clear and, ideally, measurable goal. Simply saying you want to “get back in shape” could lead to a haphazard approach to training that will ultimately take you longer to achieve your goals—if you don’t get frustrated and bail along the way, says Milton.
The most important thing to keep in mind when getting back into a workout routine is to pace yourself. This is especially true if you have been largely inactive (rather than just choosing lower-intensity modalities), are returning from an injury, or are older.
Older adults have more years of experience with training under their belt, so they may be smarter about easing into a renewed routine, says Milton, but conversely, if you’ll also want to avoid doing the same grueling workouts you did when you were younger. Bodies change over time, and it’s ok if your version of fit looks different in your 40s then it did in your 20s, she says.
A steady progression in difficulty will ensure you stay on track while avoiding injury or burnout, says Milton. Cardio exercise can be increased by the total volume of training, meaning if you have been successfully running three hours every week, you can increase the length of total weekly time spent running. Progressing strength-based training can look like more reps using the same weight or grabbing a higher weight while doing the same reps, adds Milton. Max-rep bodyweight tests—think: how many push-ups you can do in a minute—are a good universal strength-building tactic, too. The bottom line is you can get fit again, but it likely won’t happen overnight. Small, smart steps over time will lead to the results you’re after, so practicing patience is a necessary component.