Regular exercise sessions increase your overall fitness, lower your body weight and decrease your risk of disease. As little as 150 minutes of moderate- to high-intensity exercise each week can cause modest changes to your body, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. While you can see some changes to weight, cardiovascular fitness and strength in one week, the results are subtle, not dramatic. Getting in shape takes consistency over a period of time.
Weight Loss Recommendations
Slow weight loss is advised over rapid weight loss because it is more sustainable and safer for your body. Aim to lose 1 to 2 lbs. each week by reducing your food intake and increasing the amount of exercise you perform. Some weeks you may lose more than others. A study published in 2006 in "The Journal of Applied Research" found that after one week of a 1,200 calorie diet and six days of exercise, participants lost around 5.3 lbs., give or take 1.5 lbs. However, 1,200 calories may not be feasible for you. Instead, aim to cut calories by 250 to 500 per day.
Cardiovascular Fitness
You can start to see improvements in your cardiovascular fitness as well in one week. The same study checked resting heart rate and blood pressure before and after one week of exercise. During the weeklong study, participants performed six days of exercise. Their heart rates decreased by about six to seven beats per minute, showing an improvement in the strength of their hearts. Their blood pressure decreased, which is also an improvement and lowers the risk of heart disease. However, you need to keep exercising beyond one week to see continued improvement and maintain your fitness.
Muscular Fitness
The changes in muscle strength, or muscular fitness, in the first few weeks of training are neural adaptations to training rather than muscular adaptations, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. This means that your brain and body are connecting and learning the movements that you want your body to perform during resistance training. Results to your muscular system will vary based on frequency, intensity and genetics. Train two to three days per week performing at least one exercise per muscle group. Perform one set of eight to 12 repetitions with a challenging weight.
Considerations
The changes you see to your fitness and body weight after one week of diet and exercise may not be enough to get you in shape. It depends on your goals and your current physical condition. If you want to see some modest improvement, it is possible. If you are severely overweight and do not exercise, it may take longer. Stick with it for the most improvements to your health, appearance and physical fitness.
References
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "Journal of Applied Research"; Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Fitness During a One-Week Diet and Exercise Program; Jerrold Petrofsky, et al.; 2006
- MayoClinic.com: Weight Training: Improve Your Muscular Fitness
- "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook"; Nancy Clark; 2008
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