Anyone else have to build up to full workout?

rballard84
rballard84 Posts: 8
edited November 9 in Fitness and Exercise
I just started on this site this week. I have been very good at doing SOME cardio on my elliptical at home. I want to do at least 30 minutes...but I am so out of shape. I have barely been able to do 15 minutes. Did anyone else have this issue? Were you able to just keep at it and eventually do a full workout? I feel like I should have been able to do it by now. I used to be so athletic, but I had two kids in two years...and now I feel like a blob...

Replies

  • kardsharp
    kardsharp Posts: 516 Member
    Yep! I am coming back from injuries and still have to be thoughtful.

    Slow and steady wins the race. So, we just do what we can do and add to that each day.

    Keep it up and you'll see results.

    Kristine
  • I just started on this site this week. I have been very good at doing SOME cardio on my elliptical at home. I want to do at least 30 minutes...but I am so out of shape. I have barely been able to do 15 minutes. Did anyone else have this issue? Were you able to just keep at it and eventually do a full workout? I feel like I should have been able to do it by now. I used to be so athletic, but I had two kids in two years...and now I feel like a blob...

    Yep. I've been walking a few miles a day but haven't done any outright cardio until today. I did about 20 minutes worth. Tomorrow I intend on adding one more ten minute video+pilates+walking, and so on, until I reach at least 60-90 minutes a day.
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    I have asthma and a heart murmur. On the first of January, when I started, my goal was simply to be able to walk for 30 minutes straight without having an asthma attack. Then I worked up to walking at a certain mph (3.0) Then worked up to slightly longer workouts, sometimes with jogging intervals. I have had 2 asthma attacks since starting out, but i'm doing so much better than I was when I started. My heart used to race really badly, but now it slows down much easier...
  • garnet1483
    garnet1483 Posts: 249 Member
    Absolutely! For the first four full weeks, my only goal was to spend 20 minutes a day working out (6 days a week). Some days I'd go over that, but that was all I was shooting for. Now I'm shooting for 30. I do what I can, but when my body says stop, I listen. I've had injuries before, and they suck, so while I'm all for working hard, I know my limits.
  • cassylee
    cassylee Posts: 107 Member
    I am the same. I had to build up too. One of the things I did was to break it up. 2*15 mins. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon unitil i could do a full 30 mins morning and afternoon. I then built on that. Some people told me I was nuts and that does not work. It worked for me. So its what ever feels right for you.
  • Thanks. I don't feel so bad now...I just can't believe how out of shape I am...
  • ursula0601k
    ursula0601k Posts: 169 Member
    heck yeah. when i first started doing the elliptical I could barely do 5 minutes. I wasn't overweight, but I was definitely out of shape. keep going and u'll build your stamina back up. good luck!
  • sblueyez
    sblueyez Posts: 156 Member
    Absolutely! It is okay to go slow. Better than hurting yourself or going too hard to workout the next day. Take your time. You'll get there.
  • Of course :) You can't expect to go out all gung-ho and do an insane workout right away. Well, you could...but you'll probably end up hurting something, or burning yourself out, or who knows.

    I thought I was in pretty good shape, doing my cardio...then today I attempted a hike up a mountain with a 1000 foot ascent and realized I wasn't even close to being ready for it, despite being able to keep up full-speed for 1hr 15 mins at my zumba class. So, I'm going to have to work my way up to the full mountain. I will get there eventually.

    And you'll get there eventually, and then you'll add more time to it and look back and be proud about how far you've came.
  • ford8709
    ford8709 Posts: 140
    Yes I have to build up my workouts again. Don't feel bad just keep plugging along.
  • muwchck
    muwchck Posts: 261 Member
    Oh yeah. I was getting winded just walking from my apartment to our car (which is a good 100 yards away), especially if I was carrying the baby or any bags. I've had to work my way up on how long, how fast, and how hard I can work. I've been doing a bunch of different work out videos, walking, pushing the baby in the stroller, carrying the baby around, and all kinds of other things and adding them up to make my workout for the day. I've also been working on doing Richard Simmons videos. I've got one that's 50 minutes long. I worked on it on Thursday and was only able to do 26 minutes of it, Friday I made it to 32 minutes, and today I got up to 35 minutes. I do the warm ups, part of the middle, and the cool down. I've still got 3 songs to add before I'm at the full length of the tape, but I'm adding a song at a time until I can do it all. I had no idea how out of shape I really was until I started working out. I've gone from only being able to do 10-15 minute of extra stuff in a day to doing 2 hours of exercise today.
  • lilyvale68
    lilyvale68 Posts: 96 Member
    I had to go buy DVDs that had the word BEGINNER right in the title! Even then I couldn't finish them. It's amazing how far one could come in two or three months, though. Believe me...it's ok to start small and work up. :)
  • hpynh2o
    hpynh2o Posts: 194 Member
    I just started on this site this week. I have been very good at doing SOME cardio on my elliptical at home.

    EVERYONE has to build up their endurance. Set reasonable goals. Advance slowly. Stick to it. You'll do great.

    :)
  • elledo
    elledo Posts: 80
    3 years ago, after a slow 25 minute walk i was exhausted. Today, I did my first RPM (spinning) class then went out to the gym and did an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill. No worries. You'll get there, push as hard as you can and be patient!
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