Treadmill Issues - Questions for those who were very overweight and sedentary when they started

CINDYR776

I, too, have started this journey at 310 lbs. I am so proud of you for making changes for your health! I'd say, no matter what speed you are walking, you are walking faster than you were a couple of weeks ago when you weren't moving hardly at all. I'm 4 weeks into this journey so far, and I've been doing Zumba. I've found that there are some days that I can do the routines with no problem, and other days where I feel like I'm going to die. LOL Sometimes it's just all in my head, and sometimes it's due to other factors (the weather, not enough water/food, etc.) Keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other, and try not to worry about the speed you're walking.

Running_and_Coffee

From doing Orange theory for years, where people walk, jog and sprint on treadmills as part of the class, I know that what really matters from a weight loss perspective is that your heart rate is elevated and you are challenged. If 2.0-2.7 is getting your heart rate up so you're sweating, having trouble maintaining a conversation, etc., you're fine. When it starts to get easy for you, increase your pace and incline. You only need to worry about speed if you are no longer challenged.

spiriteagle99

You might also try walking more often and not just at the gym. Walk in the morning before sitting down at the computer. Walk at lunch. Walk after dinner. They don't have to be long walks, but go around the block for 10 minutes or so. Three 10 minute walks is better than one. Gradually add a little distance so you are walking for 15 or 20 minutes.

As a runner I find the TM more difficult than running outdoors because it is so continuous. I don't have control, the machine does. Natural movement is not a completely continuous pace, but slight variations of faster and slower, uphill and down -- unless you are a really advanced athlete. It's also mentally challenging. I find myself staring at the controls, willing the time or distance to speed up.

stanmann571

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

You might also try walking more often and not just at the gym. Walk in the morning before sitting down at the computer. Walk at lunch. Walk after dinner. They don't have to be long walks, but go around the block for 10 minutes or so. Three 10 minute walks is better than one. Gradually add a little distance so you are walking for 15 or 20 minutes.

As a runner I find the TM more difficult than running outdoors because it is so continuous. I don't have control, the machine does. Natural movement is not a completely continuous pace, but slight variations of faster and slower, uphill and down -- unless you are a really advanced athlete. It's also mentally challenging. I find myself staring at the controls, willing the time or distance to speed up.

When it's not the middle of summer, start parking in the back of the parking lot.. those extra steps add up, and when summer comes back around, you'll be acclimated to the extra distance(and heat)

okohjacinda

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

You might also try walking more often and not just at the gym. Walk in the morning before sitting down at the computer. Walk at lunch. Walk after dinner. They don't have to be long walks, but go around the block for 10 minutes or so. Three 10 minute walks is better than one. Gradually add a little distance so you are walking for 15 or 20 minutes.

As a runner I find the TM more difficult than running outdoors because it is so continuous. I don't have control, the machine does. Natural movement is not a completely continuous pace, but slight variations of faster and slower, uphill and down -- unless you are a really advanced athlete. It's also mentally challenging. I find myself staring at the controls, willing the time or distance to speed up.

I do this now at my job. I rack up 30-40 mins by doing this and get about 6000 steps so by the time I get home I only have 4000 steps to go unless I feel bad *kitten* and want to do more but for now my goal is 10,000 steps.

dianemduvall

Wow! How awesome to find this thread! I just started my journey this week and got back into the gym today - on the treadmill too. It was very hard to get started and I was wondering about being heavy and if it would hurt my joints or not.

I did 30 minutes and tried hard to do three - 1 minute intervals at a higher rate. I did a 5 minute warm up at a very low rate too. I have read that the warm up should be at a rate where you are not breathing hard. So I think that you should focus more on the incline - a bit and try to not keep the exact same rate the entire time. Even if you only do - one minute at a slightly higher rate (after a good warm up) - it's a start.

Good for you! Good for us!!

jennybearlv

You are doing great. Going 1.0 would be better than doing nothing. I'm not into treadmills, but started my latest bout of walking after moving to the mountains at 275. Between the elevation and the hills it was so hard to breathe and my calves ached. I wasn't just moving slow, I had to stop every few feet and catch my breath going uphill. People of all ages and sizes passed me up like it was nothing. I walked my neighborhood every night for months and one day I found I had day dreamed myself right passed my street up the hill without even noticing. After a few more times of being unchallenged by the hills I started running and get passed by every one else running and a few people walking, but I didn't care because I knew how far I had come. It is hard now, but if you go at your own pace and challenge yourself you will be one of those people going fast on the treadmill before you know it. Using a heart rate monitor is a great way to gage your exertion. It doesn't matter how slow you are as long as you keep your heart rate up and challenge yourself at your level.

Sloth_TurtleGirl

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who answered me this morning, especially amused Monk. I thought a lot about your post. I was getting ready to go to Planet Fitness and took a good hard look at my shoes. I love my Nikes, but they are 10 years old. I wear them everywhere - including the gym. A few years on the advice of a friend I bought a pair of Brooks tennis shoes. They've been sitting in the hallway for two years without being worn. I put them on instead of the Nike tennis shoes. After doing my lifting stuff, I got on the treadmill and begrudgingly started at 2.0. I stayed at it for a couple of minutes, but it was easy so I moved up to 2.2. Normally, four minutes in I'm already in excruciating pain - but, I wasn't. I moved up to 2.5 where I stayed. At almost 20 minutes I realized I was closing in on a mile and I wanted to finish it out so I moved my time up to 25 and my speed to 2.7. I stayed on and at 24 I realized how close I was to half an hour and how great it would be to double my time! So, I went down to 2.5 and went to 30 minutes. I am home now. There was no excruciating pain in my ankles and up the sides of my legs when I was walking. Maybe that was affecting everything else, I'm not sure. My heart rate did get into the high 130s at 2.7 just before I took it down, but I was okay. I made a conscious decision to stay hydrated during the lifting part of my workout and then the shoes. I think the shoes made a huge difference. I would have never thought of it if Amused Monk hadn't mentioned Brooks. So, thank you, thank you, and thank you. My night is made. I blew my personal best out the park.

middlehaitch

Great report!
Now, make sure you take rest days.

You will be on a high right now after a successful work out but, if you feel the need to go to the gym tomorrow, pull it back a bit, a slow 15 min just to keep your muscles moving.

Don't over do it.

Cheers, h.

amusedmonkey

Great that you've figured out your shoes were causing problems! Supportive shoes will go a long way! And no 10 years of shoes when it comes to exercising. Shoes often lose their support after a certain number of miles, more so if you're heavy. You will find you will need to replace perfectly good shoes sometimes just because they aren't as supportive anymore. Sad and expensive but true. I will second not overdoing it! Just because you can do 30 minutes in one go doesn't mean you should. I overdid it when I got excited about being able to do more and ended up with a chronic recurring injury. Rest adequately and don't increase your speed or distance abruptly. Do it very gradually.

firef1y72

avengeflipper wrote: »

I started back on a diet and fitness plan a month and a half ago. I joined Planet Fitness (loving it) and am working hard. But, I am having some issues with speed. I was at 2.5 for 15 minutes (18 if you count the cool down) and had a rough time with it. I had been doing 2.5 and 2.7. I am not asking for medical advice. I have a doctor for that.

I am asking where you started on speed? Would 2.0 even be worth using it? As I said, I am sedentary and close to 300 pounds.

I see women who are as heavy (or heavier) than me on the treadmill who appear to be going much faster. So, I'm just curious.

When I started out I weighed 290lb and struggled to complete 5 mins at 3km/hr (note that's km not miles, I think it works out at around 2mph), so that's what I did. Then the next time I added 30 seconds, the time after another 30 sec and within 5 weeks going to the gym twice a week I had doubled the time I was walking. I then started adding a minute a session until eventually I could walk for 30 minutes without stopping at 3km/hr.

After that I started the C25K program, only I didn't have running intervals I had intervals where I walked at 3.5km/hr, then after 4 weeks I re-started, only this time around my base speed was 3.5km/hr and the fast intervals were 4km/hr, after 4 weeks I changed it up again until eventually I completed it with the highest speed at 5km/hr.

Then I finally started adding actual running, not fast running, think it was about 6.5km/hr, but it was running. Personally I found running outside easier at this point (still do), but 21 months after that first 5 minutes on the treadmill at 3km/hr I've run countless 5ks and 10ks, have completed a cross country half marathon, have another coming up next month and am halfway through a month long running streak (of at least a mile a day). I may not be fast, but considering where I started I think I'm doing pretty well.

darkshadowlouise

When I started I was doing a 1.8 and I was going slower than everyone there, I'm now up to 2.2. I know it's not much but I'm tiny(5ft) and going faster just now doesn't work for me at the minute. My incline was 1.5 now it is 2.5. I'm over 300lbs and just started my gym a month ago. Starting slow and working your way up is best I think, don't try to compare yourself to everyone else there. Good luck

spiriteagle99

Nice that you figured out the shoe issue. I find that when my body starts feeling random phantom pains it is usually because my shoes have lost support. With some that starts at 300 miles, some can last until 600 or more. They look the same, but the feeling is really different.