Enjoy the Holidays & Keep Your Gains: The Science of Holiday Breaks

There's one question that comes up every holiday season:

Will I lose muscle and strength if I take a break from working out?

Research suggests that short breaks are often less damaging to your fitness progress than you might think. And maintaining your results may require far less exercise than building them in the first place.

Here's what you should know before putting your training routine on holiday mode.

Will You Lose Muscle If You Stop Working Out for a Week?

For most healthy, regularly active adults, a week away from strength training is unlikely to erase months of hard work.

Your body doesn't immediately lose all the strength and muscle you've built when you stop exercising.

In a 2013 meta-analysis involving 103 studies, researchers examined how stopping resistance training affects muscular performance. They found that strength generally declines as the duration of inactivity increases, with larger effects in adults over 65 and people who were previously inactive.

But that doesn't mean a short vacation will undo your progress.

Another study followed young men performing bench press training over 24 weeks. Some trained continuously, while others took planned three-week breaks between training periods.

By the end of the study, both groups achieved similar improvements in muscle size and strength.

Although the research involved a small group and one specific exercise, it demonstrates an encouraging principle: temporary breaks don't necessarily prevent long-term progress.

What does that mean for your holiday plans?

• A few days off: Generally little reason for concern.
• One week off: Most established strength and muscle gains are unlikely to disappear.
• Two to three weeks off: Some fitness changes may occur, but your progress isn't automatically lost.
• Several months off: More significant declines become increasingly likely.

Your training history, age, activity level, and the length of your break all matter.

The takeaway: Consistency over months matters more than perfection during a single holiday week.

Does Cardio Fitness Disappear Faster Than Muscle Strength?

You might notice something interesting after returning from vacation.

Your usual weights still feel manageable, but climbing stairs or finishing your regular cardio workout feels harder.

There's a scientific reason for that.

Research on detraining, the loss of physical adaptations when exercise is reduced or stopped, suggests that cardiovascular fitness can decline relatively quickly during periods of inactivity.

In trained athletes, measurable changes in aerobic capacity and blood volume can occur within a few weeks.

Muscular strength often holds up better over short breaks, although individual responses vary.

How to maintain your cardio over the holidays

You don't need to spend an hour on the treadmill every morning.

Try incorporating activities such as:

• A brisk 20-minute walk after a holiday meal
• A short stationary bike session
• Walking while sightseeing or shopping
• A moderate cardio workout between family events

The goal is to maintain regular movement and keep your fitness routine alive, even when your schedule changes.

Do People Really Gain Pounds Over the Holidays?

You've probably heard that the average person gains five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

But research paints a different picture.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked 195 adults through the holiday season. The average holiday weight gain was approximately 0.8 pounds (0.37 kg), not five pounds.

Individual results varied considerably, but the study challenges the idea that significant holiday weight gain is inevitable.

There is one important detail, however.

Researchers found that the average weight gained over the holiday period wasn't fully lost in the months that followed.

That doesn't mean you need to skip dessert or obsess over the scale. It simply reinforces the value of maintaining a few healthy habits throughout the season.

A more realistic holiday approach

1. Enjoy your favourite foods without turning every meal into a calculation.
2. Stay active when you can, prioritize sleep, and return to your normal routine when the celebrations end.
3. Your holiday fitness goal doesn't have to be weight loss. Sometimes, maintaining your habits is already a win.

How Much Exercise Do You Actually Need to Maintain Muscle?

Maintaining strength and muscle can require substantially less training than building them.

A 2021 research review published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined the minimum exercise needed to preserve physical performance.

The researchers found that, under certain conditions:

• Younger adults could maintain strength and muscle size for extended periods with as little as one resistance-training session per week and one set per exercise.
• Older adults may need up to two weekly sessions and two to three sets per exercise to maintain muscle size.
• Maintaining sufficient training intensity was an important factor, even when workout frequency and volume were reduced.

These findings aren't a universal prescription. Your age, experience, exercise selection, and training intensity influence how much work you need.

But the message is encouraging.

You don't always need your full workout schedule to maintain meaningful progress.

If you're normally in the gym four or five days a week, temporarily reducing your schedule doesn't mean you've abandoned your fitness goals.

A couple of well-planned sessions can help you stay consistent without taking over your holiday calendar.

The 30-Minute Holiday Workout Plan

Here's a practical full-body workout designed to help you maintain a training routine through a busy holiday season.

Aim for two sessions per week if your schedule allows, adjusting the exercises and intensity to your fitness level.

Your 30-Minute Workout

Start with a brief warm-up, then work through these exercises:

• Squat or leg press: 2 sets of 8–12 repetitions.
• Chest press or push-ups: 2 sets of 8–12 repetitions.
• Seated row or lat pulldown: 2 sets of 8–12 repetitions.
• Hip hinge or hip thrust: 2 sets of 8–12 repetitions.
• Cardio finisher: 5–8 minutes of cycling, treadmill walking, or brisk walking at a comfortable to moderately challenging pace.

Choose weights that challenge your muscles while allowing you to maintain proper technique. Rest as needed between sets, and adjust the number of exercises or sets to fit your available time.

You don't need to break personal records. The goal is to maintain your strength, keep moving, and make exercise manageable during a busy season.

What about the days you don't train?

Keep it simple:

• Take a walk,
• Spend time outdoors,
• Stretch if it feels good
• Find opportunities to move or stay physically active throughout the day.

It’s recommended at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week for adults, along with regular muscle-strengthening activity. Older adults are also encouraged to include balance-challenging activities.

What Happens If You Take a Month Off the Gym?

If you haven't trained for several weeks, you may notice that your usual workouts feel more demanding.

That doesn't mean you're back to square one.

Fitness adaptations decline at different rates and that the extent of those changes depends on factors such as training history, age, and time away.

When you're ready to return, the most productive approach is usually to build back gradually.

How to return to the gym after a break

1. Start lighter than usual. Give your body time to readjust instead of immediately chasing your previous personal best.
2. Reduce your workout volume. Fewer sets can help you ease back into your regular routine.
3. Focus on technique. Prioritize controlled movements and comfortable ranges of motion.
4. Build consistency first. Your first few workouts are about re-establishing your habits, not making up for missed sessions.

A temporary break is just that: temporary. What matters most is finding a routine you can return to and sustain.

Frequently Asked Questions About Taking a Break From the Gym

Will I lose muscle if I don't work out for seven days?

A one-week break is unlikely to cause major muscle loss for most healthy adults who already train regularly. Research suggests that the amount of strength lost generally increases with longer periods of inactivity.

How long can I stop working out before losing muscle?

There isn't one exact timeline for everyone. Some changes can occur within a few weeks, but the extent depends on your age, training experience, activity level, and whether you're talking about muscle size or strength.

Is working out once a week enough to maintain muscle?

It can be enough for some people. A 2021 review found that younger adults may maintain strength and muscle size with one appropriately challenging resistance-training session per week under certain conditions. Older adults may require more training to preserve muscle size.

Enjoy Your Holidays. Keep Your Progress.

You don't need to choose between making memories and maintaining your fitness.

That's why flexibility matters.

At Broadway Gym in Tillsonburg, Ontario, you can make fitness fit your schedule instead of rearranging your day around gym hours.

• Train when it works for you
• 24/7 gym access for private members
• Flexible, month-to-month memberships
• No long-term contracts. Broadway Gym offers month-to-month memberships, so you're not committing to an annual agreement.
• Free membership freezes
• Strength training, cardio, and recovery amenities
• Personal training when you need direction

Broadway Gym is also proud to be a 2025 Canadian Choice Award winner in the Fitness Center category.

You don't need the perfect schedule to stay active. You need a gym that makes showing up easier.

Ready to Make Fitness Fit Your Schedule?

Discover a gym in Tillsonburg designed around flexibility, strength, and feeling your best.

✅ Round-the-clock 24/7 access

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✅ Indoor sauna and clean shower facilities

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With 24/7 private-member access, month-to-month memberships, quality equipment, and recovery amenities, Broadway Gym makes it easier to keep working toward your goals.