Getting winded and building endurance

ysienkiewicz

I am an ex pack a day smoker as of going on 5 years. And I have never been athletic. I can't tell if it's from the smoking, being out of shape, a combination of both, or just me, but I get out of breath easy and I get dizzy. My heart rate seems to recover quickly enough. I have had various tests over the years, so no apparent health issues. I am 50 BTW and joined a gym in late October. I have seen some minor improvement but I was kind of hoping to see a more noticeable improvement in endurance/lung capacity. I am trying to push myself to improve my health, lose weight, etc and I feel like this is a barrier to more noticeable improvement. (If I get out of breath, I have to stop and catch my breath for a few minutes.) I am scared to push myself when I get really dizzy as I am afraid to pass out.

Has anyone else gone through this? Am I expecting too much too soon?

Any advice on how to improve my endurance? Should I walk longer on a treadmill but not as fast (so I don't get so winded and dizzy?) I was able to do 30 minutes on the treadmill today at 3.2 mph at a number 1 incline. (I am short, 5' 1".) I was woozy when I stepped off the treadmill.

brandiuntz

Walk longer on the treadmill at a slower pace. The main thing I learned when I took up running is that endurance will build with distance. Going too fast too soon is a common problem.

Good that you don't have inherent health issues, so just chalk it up to the past smoking and general out-of-shapeness. You will improve. Keep at it, don't let yourself get really dizzy during your workouts. Stay consistent with exercising and it will happen. Stay patient with your progress.

MoiAussi93

If you get dizzy while exercising, you should stop immediately. However, once in a while to be a little dizzy after can be normal if it was an intense workout.

The best way to quickly improve endurance and lung capacity is interval training. If you can already walk for 30 minutes, you can do this. Try adding short (start with 30 seconds) intervals of faster walking mixed with a couple of minutes of your slow 3.2 mph walking to recovery. Start with however many intervals you can do (it might only be 3 or 4), and gradually work your way up to 8 or 10 intervals. When you can do that, make you 30 second intervals even faster...maybe try slow jogging or increase the incline to make it steeper. You will very quickly....certainly within a couple of weeks...notice you can do more.

The key is to constantly make it harder. When you start to notice it is easier than it used to be, that is the time to make your intervals faster or longer, or your rest intervals shorter or faster. It forces your body to adapt.

This has been proven to be more effective than long steady state cardio for improvements in endurance and for weight loss.

DvlDwnInGA

Have you told your Dr. any of this? I would go in for a check up and make sure that there is not an underlying condition that would be causing this. You say you have had tests over the years, but does your Dr. know you are getting dizzy when working out, etc.

acmanna

Are you eating before working out? Personally, I have to have something in my stomach or else I get dizzy, or if I lift too much too quickly. Go slow and work on longer walks. Also go for slow walks at home to build up endurance

Adc7225

Sans any health issues, for some of us the anxiety of the treadmill can take some time to get used to. It seems there are 2 issues the being out of breath and in good health, I would suggest taking it a bit slower. It can be hard when those around you are just running for what seems like forever! In time you will know when you can increase the speed, you might even try keeping track for a few weeks and increasing is slowly every two weeks or so (depending on how many days you workout in a week). The dizziness - it is only on the treadmill or when you do other exercise as well? If it is both I would definitely see my doctor if it is only on the treadmill try not to look down or at any part of the console that might be vibrating, etc. It took me some time to get over being dizzy on the treadmill and I started at 45.

My first trainer, insisted that one of the things I work on was balance - I think it has been a big help along the way, probably helped me on the treadmill because I hadn't used one in about 8-9 months but when I got back on it, no issues.

ysienkiewicz

Thanks everyone! The dizziness happens when I get really winded and out of breath (huffing and puffing). It makes me light headed. I have had heart tests and stress tests and EKGS and lung capacity tests. Blood pressure, etc. ALL have been fine. I think I am just more out of shape than I thought.

Liftng4Lis

Did you have a physical before starting your exercise program?

ysienkiewicz

Yes, I have a physical every year. Again, no known health issues.

ysienkiewicz

I even have the stress test every year at the cardiologist where I am on the treadmill hooked up to all of the machines, and always pass with flying colors!