How Fast Does Fitness Degrade (Low-maintenance upkeep of fitness)

[precisionflying]

Let's said you want to maintain a certain level of fitness, as follows:

-50 pushups in 2mins
-100 crunches in 2mins
-3 mile run in 18mins (fixed)
-500 yard swim in 8mins

Stats are from the US miltary, and it's my fitness goal. I currently can do ~15 pushups, so eventually, after reaching this goal, what is needed, what is enough, to maintain this fitness level?

will, for example, swimming once a week, and jogging (2-3 mile) or cycling once every other week be enough?

The _reason_ to maintain fitness is to be "healthy"
The _goal_ is for the low-maintenance/upkeep of fitness
The health _benefits_ of various forms of fitness training (vo2max, endurance, etc.), based on my current understanding, are received mostly during the inital training program. Later on, you just get dimishing returns for your efforts, and for my fitness purposes, simply aren't worth it. Vo2 max, for example, decreases drastically from age 40, if I recall accurately (WOW, memory loss already); anyhow, I don't remember the annual % degradation/decay.

links to scientific studies would be great and very interesting!

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How Fast Does Fitness Degrade (Low-maintenance upkeep of fitness)

[LisaS]

3 mile run in 8mins

- you're not going to do that. Sorry. Either you have a typo or someone is pulling your leg. The world record for 5K (3.1 miles) is 12:37:35

[Bytsi]

Originally Posted by LisaS

- you're not going to do that. Sorry. Either you have a typo or someone is pulling your leg. The world record for 5K (3.1 miles) is 12:37:35

It says 18 minutes now - maybe edited???

[wil58]

You're going to be able to continue doing 50 pushups in 2mins if you continue performing this action regularly. If you don't, your ability to do it will be compromised. I think the drop off is mostly dependent on how long you've been at or above the desired level. If you got there through a flurry of activity, chances are it will drop off more quickly than if you've been at that fitness level for a long time.

As an older person I haven't noticed an increased drop-off now (40s) vs when I was younger. But then again I never stay inactive now for more than a couple of days and make sure I have enough carbs in my diet to stay fully charged. My drop off will probably happen when I get some kind of injury that puts me on the shelf for an extended period and that is probably more injury related than age related. That's why I worry much more about staying unhurt than about the ticking clock.

> will, for example, swimming once a week, and jogging (2-3 mile) or cycling once every other week be enough?

no