The Principle of Reversibility & Tips to Overcome It | Day #9

The Principle of Reversibility Explained in Simple Terms

In this episode of WellFit 365, I explain the reversibility principle, also known as the “Use it or loose it” principle.

Have you ever trained really hard for a period of time, got great results, then had some time off exercise and ended up right back at square one?
Rest is really important, to promote recovery between our sessions. However, extended periods of rest between workouts can diminish your physical fitness progress over time. This means that when you don’t workout consistently, your body implements physiological reactions which cause you to loose the gains you had made.

For example: Your strength diminishes, you become less aerobically fit, your flexibility decreases, etc.

This can happen in a relatively short time after you stop training, which can be frustrating.

Tips to Overcome reversibility.

The most important thing for you to do is to get yourself back moving.

Some tips for overcoming reversibility:

• After an extended rest from exercise, start back off slowly.
• Resume your training with greater volume as opposed to higher intensity
• Focus on improving your flexibility
• Avoid maximum attempts with your weight lifting.  (These last two points are particularly vital to keep yourself injury-free.)

Try to have active rest, for example playing light sport, going for easy walks, doing gardening etc. Its great to have a break from your rigorous exercise routine, but be sure to keep your body moving in some way.