3 weeks of bed rest at the age of 20 years was as detrimental as 40 years of aging

Sometimes bad things happen.

Heart attacks, falls, seizures, car accidents, strokes, etc.

These unfortunate events can land people in hospital beds.

Some are on complete bed rest and unable to exercise, or even move.

This can lead to some serious problems.

The body deconditions and people lose their life independence.

All of a sudden getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom becomes like climbing Mt Everest.

Luckily, with exercise, these detrimental changes can be reversed, and even improved.

According to the Dallas Bed Rest Study:

“Average VO2max declined 27% after bed rest with a subsequent 45% increase with training. As shown in the Table, average maximal cardiac output declined by 26% after bed rest followed by a 40% increase with training,…Thus, changes in VO2max were attributable to changes in maximal cardiac output as a result of changes in maximal stroke volume that declined 31% with bed rest followed by a 48% increase with training.”

A follow-up study, 30 years later found:

“3 weeks of bed rest at the age of 20 years was as detrimental as 40 years of aging”

However, the cardiovascular system is plastic. It can change and improve with the right input.

If you or someone you know has been recently in the hospital or a skilled nursing facility, make sure you (or your loved one) works hard to regain what was lost.

With insurance raimbursement rates decreasing each year, hospitals and SNFs are sending people home early to get more lucrative evaluations in the door. This leads to patients not getting the therapy they need to return to their previous level of function.

If you need help, Black Bear PT does home visits to perform personal training from a Doctor in Phyiscal Therapy in this population. This not only ensures a return to optimal function, but is done with a medical professional to prevent serious adverse situations.

I recently made a video with a good place to start in this situation.