Exercise at high altitude

sarahsmart88

Hello all, So I am moving from Southern California to Colorado next week and am a little worried about the altitude and how it will affect my exercise schedule. In the past, any time I was in the mountains, I had some difficulty with breathing. I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for easing into exercise when moving to a higher altitude. I know not to overdo it, but any additional tips would be great. Like is there anything to make the transition on the body easier?

james8008

I went from Missouri to Cheyenne, WY and the transition was pretty hard. It took a good 3 months of working out to acclimate to the elevation out here. I started out by working out 1-3 times a week for the first month, then bumped it up to 5 times a week after that and within the next 2 months the elevation didn't really bother me anymore. When I first moved here I couldn't go up a flight of stairs without breathing heavy. I don't really think there are really any "tips" to acclimating, it just takes time. Good luck with your transition!

James

jenniferlynn12

I live in Co Springs--moved here a year ago and was 8 months pregnant. The first couple days, I was winded going up the stairs. As already been said, there isn't much you can do, just go slowly--your body will adjust quickly. Although people told me 6 months before you are completely adjusted (I think it was sooner than that for me though). Just drink LOTS and LOTS of water!! Welcome!!

k9hrd

What altitude will you be living at? I live at 4300 ft. Basically take it a little easy at first. You should be fine. You might read up on altitude sickness if you are going to be over 10,000 ft. It is more important what altitude you sleep at than exercise at.

Kimbo_pearl

I agree. I moved to the mountains in Utah earlier this year, and I just had to let my body get used to the fact that there's a little less oxygen to go around. You may find that your body feels like it did when you first started exercising (at least it did for me). Keep exercising, but definitely listen to your body and don't overdo it. Good luck!

cookingwithtrace

It really depends on where you are going.. anywhere up to 6000 feet and you should be able to acclimate in a couple of days. If you are going to higher elevations than that, I would suggest taking it very easy until you are sure that you can exercise safely.

I am in the Grand Junction area (5K above sea level) and when I moved here from the south, I had very little trouble.

Good luck!

Le_Joy

It will take a while for you to adjust. For me it seems easier to exercise inside at first. I don't think the indoor air is any better, but I don't exercise as hard indoors as I do outside. Exercising seems to help with making the adjustment. I wouldn't go all out the first few days or even weeks, but if you never challenge yourself you won't adjust.

And as a tip - you might want to avoid hiking for a while. I went from sea level to 4500 ft and then went on a hike in the mountains. I got to a point where I just couldn't breathe enough until I went back down the mountain....

Best part of living at a higher altitude, when you go back to sea level you have way more endurance!

sarahsmart88

Thanks everyone! I guess I'll just have to slow down my exercise schedule or maybe add in more lifitng and less cardio until I feel adjusted.

twinsanity

WATER! Do not forget to be drinking lots of water, too, until you get acclimated. If you get here and start getting headaches, especially when working out, drink more water! Altitude sickness is real, and it sucks!