How to move past physical exhaustion?

missuswells

How do I get past collapsing during exercise? I've always been really weak in general, whether from a weak immune system from a young age, my chronic pain, or just plain sedentary lifestyle, I don't know...but it's getting really annoying.

I've been trying Jillian Michaels 30DS and Focus T25. I give it my all and mentally I feel strong and ready to kick butt. However after about 10 minutes, if I try to do the jumping, squats, etc, I just...fall. Even though no ones here I feel ridiculous and embarrassed.

I've been REALLY sedentary this past year because of struggles with my bipolar disorder and hospitalizations. Am I jumping in too fast? I've been walking a mile every day.

Should I modify the exercises to be able to go longer, or is it better to work hard to my max even if it's just 10 min? And then hopefully increase my max time progressively?

yhealthy2000

Start with a yoga class. I think you will like that. Just see how you feel doing yoga. You can build stamina and strength here to step into more challenging excercises like the one you mentioned. Want you to continue with excercises and not end it...you will benefit from yoga for sure.

LavenderLeaves

Are those extremely intensive programs? If someone isn't used to physically pushing themselves and throws themselves into a very intense program, that's a recipe for being miserable and feeling exhausted. Working out should be invigorating. Ease up and do some modified versions of those workouts, or you might want to try starting out with something like simply walking a bit faster for half of your hour walk until you build up your endurance a bit more. Are you getting to your target heart rate when you walk?

When I first started working out I could only do 15m at a fast walk for me before I'd feel like I was completely wiped, now I'm able to go that same "fast" pace(and it feels much slower for me now) for an hour. I know the feeling of wanting to be able to go harder and faster in workouts, but our bodies need time to adjust and that really isn't possible if we want to stick with it long term.

shrinkingletters

Jillian Michaels is pretty intense. Back in my heyday when I was running long distance, I thought to give her dvds a shot. I started with 30 Day Shred and I puked and was really upset at myself because I thought I was in excellent shape. I could run 6 miles without breaking a sweat, but her dvd's would have me drenched and walking like a newborn afterward.

What I'm saying is, just try your very best. You chose some pretty intense workouts, and while effective, are still a challenge. Even if you fall to the ground, wiggle around and try to keep going.

shrinkingletters

By the way, she's come out with a Beginners 30DS, I've heard. I haven't looked into it, but it could be a good transition to her harder workouts.

MYhealthyjourney70

i have never done anything by jillian michaels but i know she is intense... try modifying and not going at it full force right from the begininning... i have to modify my workouts but i try the original move and i am slowly being able to do some stuff without modification.. i do bodypump and zumba..

999tigger

Theres a balnce you need to find between pushing yourself and not pushing yourself too hard. the equaliser is you can take a rest and gradually as your fitness comes you will be able to manage more until you cna do the whole thing, so just apply some common sense, be patient and keep at it without beating yourself up or worrying.

I would modify it so you can go longer and then woprk on intensity later.

If you are exhausted (as opposed to a bit tired or temporarily knackered) you are exhausted, so dont push past that.

missuswells

Maybe I got too eager lol. I just finally feel ready and excited to change my life! I do tend to have an all or nothing attitude.

I ended up taking a break from T25 and rested 10 min then got back up and was able to do the rest, but I just didn't go as fast or as hard. My limbs feel like jellooo

shrinkingletters

999tigger wrote: »

Theres a balnce you need to find between pushing yourself and not pushing yourself too hard. the equaliser is you can take a rest and gradually as your fitness comes you will be able to manage more until you cna do the whole thing, so just apply some common sense, be patient and keep at it without beating yourself up or worrying.

I would modify it so you can go longer and then woprk on intensity later.

Yup, I would even do some workouts without the weights and sort of just go through the motions, until my coordination and strength decided to cooperate with each other.

Jerseygrrl

Those are both intense workouts for a beginner. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do them. It does mean you may need to modify them. Instead of jumping, try jogging or marching in place. And, seriously, when you need to stop, stop. If you're just out of shape, you will make gains in endurance, and I would encourage you to work on that for now. Once T25 is doable for the full 25 minutes (even if you are marching for 15 of those) try upping the intensity - A LITTLE BIT.

The old joke is, it doesn't matter how slow you run, you're still lapping everyone sitting on the couch. It doesn't matter if your intensity starts out low, you're still doing more than you were before, right? Give yourself time to build stamina. You may be surprised at how quickly you can do a low intensity workout for longer and longer periods of time. Once you build some stamina, you can start increasing the intensity.

Congratulations for pushing through your depression and starting. That is no easy task.

CSARdiver

Try a group class at your skill level. The peer pressure alone will push you harder than doing it alone. Incorporate long cardio into your overall plan and build up endurance and you'll be working more efficiently and able to push through those intense sessions.

Mr_Knight

missuswells wrote: »

Am I jumping in too fast? I've been walking a mile every day.

Personally, I would get that up to 3/4 miles a day, at a reasonably brisk pace, before moving on to more vigorous forms of exercise.

Good luck!

:drinker:

callsitlikeiseeit

try beginner classes or videos. go slower than the rest if you need to (i mean, you should have seen me at my first 4 classes in zumba LOL). If your body is saying STOP - LISTEN TO IT. slow even more, even if youre just standing and twisting, you're moving. the more you do it, the better you get and longer you can go but LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

AllanMisner

The first key here is to find your proper progression. Work up to a point where you can walk or move for the full 30 minutes. The add intensity (speed or time).

The second key is perseverance. You’ll need to do this a few times a week to begin seeing real training effect. Your muscles will get more efficient (stronger) and you’ll develop your cardiovascular conditioning to a point you can do more and more.

The third key is patience. We didn’t get where we are in a day or a week or a month or a year. We have years of inactivity. It will take years to get fit. You’ll see progress if you do the first two, but it will take time to get to a point where you can kill those intense programs without a struggle.

Progression, perseverance, and patience.

missuswells

Great advice. I think I need to appreciate what I'm doing and how hard I'm trying rather than focus on wanting to do more

shrinkingletters

Unrelated, but OP: I love your profile photo, you look very pretty

Greenkat57

Hi! Agree w/above poster...you BOTH look very pretty!

I am much older than you (late 50's), have a heart condition where my heart races and need to lose about 100 pounds. I am going to have surgery in September.

I have been told to just walk. This past winter I became very immobile due to a 25 pound weight gain in three months from my heart meds. Walking to another room in the house wore me out. It was crazy. When I was told to walk I had to laugh...getting off the sofa was a task...walking to my car in the driveway was like running a 5k.

But I am serious about changing my weight and more importantly my eating habits. So I began to walk...5 minutes was all I could handle....and now I can do 3 5-minute walks daily without collapsing!

I would never be able to do any of those exercise videos or classes until I got some endurance up from walking.

Be easy on yourself and set SMALL goals first. Less likely to fail.

Best of luck!

ForeverSunshine09

I do videos on fitnessblender and due to certain disabilities I have there are certainly moves I either cant do or have tO modify like anything jumping. I will do one leg at a time as far it will go with no jumping. I cant do the boxer shuffle because I can't point my feet so I just walk or high knee in place. I am the most incoordinated, red faced, ridiculous looking person when I workout but, its just me in my dogs here. I wont even do a video in front of my husband. Haha!

cwolfman13

start slow and build up your fitness. When I got back into things I didn't do anything more than just going for walks every day and I slowly upped my work from there.

Nobody goes from 0-60 overnight...at least not successfully. Doing too much too quick is just going to burn you out and increase your risk of injury.