When does exercise get easier??

Annie120484

Seriously... when? I'm not completely out of shape, but I definitely have a ways to go in terms of muscle tone. When I work out, I fatigue SO. Fast. Especially when I do strength training classes like Body Pump. I feel like I should be feeling the "exercise high" that people get but I just feel exhausted. I don't have asthma or any underlying condition (that I know of) so I don't understand what the deal is. I've been working out for about two months now, 3-4 times/week. Will it get easier? What can I do to not feel so utterly exhausted by exercise??? All advice helpful. Thanks!

SonyaCele

it gets easier when you make it fun.

Annie120484

That's not what I meant exactly... getting motivated to go to the gym isn't the issue. it's the actual exercise part. but I guess I see where you're going with that? Thanks!

tziol

if you enjoy exercising then just do it at your own pace and if you feel exhausted then thats good as this means that you put effort in it. Remember of good levels of water and eat, rest well as this may have impact on your performance. With time you will feel when to push harder. Everyone wants the things to come easy but only with hard work and commitment you will get what you want.

TossaBeanBag

I love that exhausted feeling. It helps me get to sleep at night.

singingflutelady

Hate to tell you that it never really gets "easier" because usually the fitter you are the harder you go at it. I am a step aerobics addict and when I do class I do it at a very high intensity (run instead of walk, jumper higher/farther, etc) and I am usually tired after class (but I recover quickly). If I did it at the same intensity as when I first started I would find it "easier" but most people don't keep at the same intensity forever.

jemhh

Exercise can certainly be exhausting but if it is an ongoing problem, it may be due to how much you are eating or sleeping. In other words, eating too little and sleeping too little can adversely affect your energy levels and workouts.

DvlDwnInGA

Make sure to get some good carbs and protein before going to the gym. It will help with your energy levels.

higgins8283801

I get the exhausted feeling afterwards. I think as others have said, everyone does. However, while I am exercising my energy doing the workout is lasting longer. I can go longer and harder each and every week it seems.

xmichaelyx

I've been into fitness just about my whole life, and Body Pump class still kicks my *kitten*. But when I can do a whole class without feeling like I'm going to die, it'll be time to find a better teacher.

Similarly, when lifting is easy, I know it's time to up the weights.

In other words, it never gets fun. It's BRUTAL. It sucks. But looking and feeling good is worth it. And when I'm 70 and still active, mobile, and healthy way beyond my peers, it'll REALLY be worth it.

But focusing on your diet might make it easier. So might doing some running between classes and getting your cardio in better shape (although that sucks too).

Edit: To paraphrase the great (?) Adam Carolla, "The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that successful people are really good at doing things they don't want to do." You don't want to work out; I don't want to work out. We do it anyway, because in the end it's worth it.

MKEgal

If it bothers you, back off on intensity or duration, or both.
Do what you can without feeling bad.
Next week go a little harder, a little longer.
And the next week.
And the next.

I started in January, and I think the first few days I did 5 - 10 minutes very slowly on the treadmill. I felt like a complete loser idiot, but I did it. The next week I did more.

Today, I did 30 min on the elliptical at 4 - 5 mph, then 45 min on the treadmill doing hills at 3 mph, 50% max intensity. And I could have kept going if I had another water bottle & didn't have to get to work. (The last couple days I've done 90 min of those hills.) I'm a bit sore unless I take some naprosyn first, but I _don't_ feel like I want to fall down & pass out.

CatalinaJoye

aboslutley it gets easier. But if your like me once it feels easy you need to do more weight or longer time to make it harder again. If exercise was easy everyone would do it

kaseasteele

It doesn't get easier, you just get better.

sijomial

There's two takes on this:
1/ Greg Lemond (pro cyclist) said: "(Training) doesn't get easier; you just get faster"
2/ Your capabilities will be improving (it's only been two months!) and one day you will realise that things that were once hard are now easy. That moment might be when you find those stairs to your office that used to get you puffing are now a breeze or the weights you used to think were heavy are now easy.

Also be aware that trying to increase exercise intensity in a calorie deficit is hard, energy levels are down and recovery isn't so good. Both are good reasons for someone exercising hard to avoid excessive calorie deficits.

philwrightfitness

If you're training right it never gets easier but one day you look at your training diary and you're lifting twice as much running further etc etc. if you want it to get easier...... Don't progress get to a level and stay there......or stop....

pietomb00

philwrightfitness wrote: »

If you're training right it never gets easier

^^ This

TavistockToad

Annie120484 wrote: »

Seriously... when? I'm not completely out of shape, but I definitely have a ways to go in terms of muscle tone. When I work out, I fatigue SO. Fast. Especially when I do strength training classes like Body Pump. I feel like I should be feeling the "exercise high" that people get but I just feel exhausted. I don't have asthma or any underlying condition (that I know of) so I don't understand what the deal is. I've been working out for about two months now, 3-4 times/week. Will it get easier? What can I do to not feel so utterly exhausted by exercise??? All advice helpful. Thanks!

it doesnt... as you get fitter you can push yourself further so its never 'easy'.

eldamiano

Exercise is as easy or as tough as you want it to be.

MamaRiss

I'm also in the "it doesn't" camp. My lungs have gotten stronger, as have my muscles. But when I start feeling like I can do things more easily, I add more weight go a little fast, or do more reps. I never get a high feeling afterward, I'm just glad it's over

yoovie

It really isn't good for exercise to get easy.

If your workouts get easier, it means your body has evolved to be able to handle them better, and it's time to level up.

If you get to a point where you've gotten really good at doing something, there is no reason for your body to continue to change and improve. It reached the level it needed, right?

When you get that point, high five yourself and find a way to make it harder, so you keep evolving forward!

Kalikel

I guess if you stayed where you were and never tried to do more, whatever you're doing would get easy...but then it wouldn't be much good to you.

I just keep doing more and making it harder on myself, lol, so it doesn't get easier. But I can do much more than I could once upon a time.

JeffseekingV

I happen to like lifting so that's not a problem. Doesn't make any easier if you constantly pushing yourself but I don't mind the effort. Cardio is another thing. I hate doing cardio just for the calorie burn. When I have to, I'll force myself on the treadmill. But now I play bball twice a week to take care of most of my cardio for the week.

eatmindfully

If you feel super fatigued then something is not right. I feel super energized from my workouts. Immediate thoughts are sleep, hydration and fueling. Are you getting enough quality sleep? Are you well hydrated? Are you eating a high quality diet and getting enough calories? If the answer to all of those is yes then consider having some bloodwork done to look at if you have enough iron. Vitamin d can help.... Also if you hate the workouts your doing they can be exhausting. Hopefully you find something you enjoy enough that you can just feel amazing after your workout and then you never want to stop.

KANGOOJUMPS

I LOVE IT!, I cannot get enough of it!, I go hard and do 2 to 3 hours cardio a day!

starseedxo

"It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster"
Greg LeMond