Problems on the Elliptical

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  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
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    I am not a sedentary person and take daily hikes. When I first got my elliptical it only took two minutes before my quads were screaming. I felt like a complete failure.:ohwell:

    I have been able to get used to the motion over time and now I can go to fatigue or unendurable boredom, which is like 40 minutes. It is tiring, but I don't have the pain issues in my thighs anymore.
  • MeliciousMelis
    MeliciousMelis Posts: 458 Member
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    Think of it in terms of cumulative effort. When I first started working with an elliptical, I couldn't last long-- maybe 10-15 minutes. So I did that for a few weeks, and by the 3rd week, I was able to do 20 minutes, and so on and so on. It's been about a year and I get a good workout and will sometimes go longer than an hour.

    Building endurance takes time. Be patient with yourself, and keep at it. Your three minutes will be four and then five and then ten. You can do this.
  • zeeeb
    zeeeb Posts: 805 Member
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    i used to be the same, and would spend longer on the treadmill and bike and do 5 mins on the eliptical.

    but these days with all my joint issues, i don't even use the treadmill and can easily do 25 minutes on the eliptical. i just can't get my heart rate high enough on the treadmill without back pain and knee and foot pain, so i use the eliptical.

    you really have to train yourself and increase by a minute or 2 every week until you get there.
  • davesnow77
    davesnow77 Posts: 14 Member
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    If it's just getting winded, then that will improve w/ time. You also mentioned knees and I think Sue had a point. Not all ellipticals are created equal. Different stride lengths, footpad widths, etc. You may want to try moving your feet & arms to different positions to get the most comfortable positions (probably shorter/closer). If you can shorten the stride length, that may help initially, and then you can lengthen it as you get stronger and more comfortable for a more intense workout.
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
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    Think of it in terms of cumulative effort. When I first started working with an elliptical, I couldn't last long-- maybe 10-15 minutes. So I did that for a few weeks, and by the 3rd week, I was able to do 20 minutes, and so on and so on. It's been about a year and I get a good workout and will sometimes go longer than an hour.

    Building endurance takes time. Be patient with yourself, and keep at it. Your three minutes will be four and then five and then ten. You can do this.

    Yes!
    I started at 30 minutes and that killed me but every week I'd add another 5 minutes til I worked my way up to 50 minutes. I also increased resistance and incline. It just takes time :)
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
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    Seriously, I can not handle the machine for more than about 3 minutes - on a good day! What the heck is that about??? I do fine on the treadmill - but the elliptical and me just do not like each other.

    Anyone else have this problem? I'd really love to learn how to do it longer - it seems to burn more calories....

    The elipticle makes my feet burn - treadmil doesn't lol I don't have a solution ... it's the wierdes thing, I try to put pressure on different parts of my feet, but the balls of my feet just feel like they're on fire after a few minutes

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