I agree that I don't know either, and that getting back to exercise is hard on the body and the mind. The good news is that your muscles do seem to remember, and that the fitter you were when you stopped, and the longer you had been fit, the easier your body will get back to where it was. Yes, of course, the longer you are off makes a difference too, but it's not as bad as starting from scratch when I had been sedentary from years. It's faster than that, and it's easier to track progress because you know what to look for!

I'm hoping some of our medical professionals will answer your questions, though, because I'm curious too. I don't know if it's all muscle loss (even the heart may lose muscle strength from inactivity), or if there are other mechanisms acting to break our will to get back to it!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~