Tired after 3 minutes of exercising? WHAT GIVES

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  • Celuwen
    Celuwen Posts: 80 Member
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    When I first started, I hadn't exercised in a long time, I could do around 3 minutes before being shattered and wanting to throw up. Six months later, I can do 30 minutes of exercise and feel tired afterwards. A good tired though, not a want to throw up in a corner and sleep all day, tired.

    It's been a slow process, but I feel so much better. Keep at it, slowly increase as your body becomes stronger and it will happen for you.
  • BeautifulBrownBbyDoll
    BeautifulBrownBbyDoll Posts: 33 Member
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    When I first started, I hadn't exercised in a long time, I could do around 3 minutes before being shattered and wanting to throw up. Six months later, I can do 30 minutes of exercise and feel tired afterwards. A good tired though, not a want to throw up in a corner and sleep all day, tired.

    It's been a slow process, but I feel so much better. Keep at it, slowly increase as your body becomes stronger and it will happen for you.

    Thank you so much. YOU GET IT. Each day im steadily progressing. I'm feeling a bit sore today from yesterday's workout so i'm going to rest these muscles and get back on it Monday.
  • shortchange1
    shortchange1 Posts: 146 Member
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    Are you warming up first or jumping into a vigorous wo?

    I was just going to mention this as well. If you're jumping right into your workout, your body hasn't had time to warm-up and the warm-up is where your body actually goes through a metabolic adjustment to send more blood to the working muscles. An inadequate warm-up (about 10 minutes of low intensity movement) will make your workout feel unnecessarily brutal.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    You just have to push through it. Tell yourself stopping is NOT an option. I'm sorry but 3 minutes here, 9 minutes there will not help you lose much weight. You don't want to cheat yourself by convincing yourself you can't do more than a few minutes. You can do it! Trust that you won't die or even faint if you push yourself.

    Sometimes I have to tell myself, just 10 more minutes, then you can stop. Just 5 more minutes, then you can stop. Or whatever. usually by the time those 5 or 10 minutes or whatever has passed I've got my second wind and can keep going. Also, I often tell myself Look here! You have had 3 children! This workout is NOTHING compared to childbirth, you survived that 3 times so you CAN do this! For real, it gets that serious sometimes. I have to dig deep and think of making it through childbirth. That helps LOL.

    You know what fat does with 3 minutes of exercise? it laughs. I don't want to make my fat laugh. I want to make my fat CRY. I want to beat it down and kill it off! ha ha
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Okay here is my frustration! :explode: It's been a very, very, very long time since I exercised (about 3 months) So lately i've been trying to exercise...I get tired after 3 minutes of working out. I want to be able to make it through a 20 minute workout without feeling fatigue or having to quit so soon. I'm currently doing Turbo Jam...which is fun but I shouldn't be feeling this way. I'm trying to change my healthy lifestyle by exercising but dammit i'm almost to my breaking point. It's way too cold to be walking outside (hate cold weather) Any suggestions?

    My suggestion is to try the Couch to 5k program. I was just like you when I first started. I could barely even walk for 10 minutes, and couldn't jog unless it was just to hurry across the street, and that left me breathless. After finishing the Couch to 5k, I felt like I did back in high school when running 3-5 miles was a light run. The program makes it very easy for someone who is not used to exercising to build up endurance.

    http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

    You start off with just a few minutes and then gradually build your endurance. Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
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    Someone may have already said this, but...

    Whenever I workout,whether it is running, lifting or whatever, I hit this little roadblock at about 10 minutes. I just have to push past it with any kind of mindtrick I can pull on myself. Perhaps you are doingthe same. I do agree that you may be asking too much of yourself too soon, but that just means you need to back off a little on the intensity rather than the duration.
  • AnneU93
    AnneU93 Posts: 114 Member
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    Pregnant? :D
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    Exercise shouldn't be easy. You SHOULD get tired and have to push through it.

    Keep working at it.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Add a minute a day until you can do what you are trying to accomplish. You can do it. Start where you are and move forward. When I started benching I could bench about 100 lbs... Not much... Now, I am up to about 185. still not much but it is better than it was... You can't start where you want to be... You start where you are and add to it. Best wishes on your journey.
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    Maybe try to go for a walk. Maybe easing back into it would be better.
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    It just takes time. The first time I did the 30 Day Shred...after 6 minutes I just laid down on the floor and stayed there for awhile. I'm still out of shape but I can go a lot longer now.

    Same thing happened to me, and then after 3 days of pushing and pushing I could finish it! Thats was a long time ago but yeah it kicked my butt!
  • stasherella
    stasherella Posts: 46 Member
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    I have not had a complete work out in months and last night I did Leslie Sansone 5 mile walk 82 bloody minutes and could not breathe. I thought I was starting something easy but I should have just taken it mile by mile instead of thinking i am She-Ra and jumping into it.. Take it slow next time I heard a lot of folks say do 3 minutes then stop then start again that is good advice.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I'm of two opposing mindsets about this:

    I always want to quit about 3 minutes in to my workouts, even though I love my workouts and have been working out for 90 minutes cardio/weight 3-4 times a week since May. My mind always tries to back out about 3 to 5 minutes into my warm-up. If that's the case, tell your mind to shut up and push on through.

    On the other hand, when I first started working out 2 years and 100+ pounds ago, 15 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the bike with no resistance at a slow pace was all I could really do. Start where you are (which might not be full-on P90X/Insanity/Shred just yet) and keep doing a little more, a little harder, a little longer every work out.

    Be kind to yourself, but don't expect too little of yourself, either.
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
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    I just looked at your diary. It isn't surprising you run out of gas so fast. Lady, PLEASE start giving your body some better quality fuel. I'm not saying eat a vegetarian diet or never have a snack cake. You've got to start eating some vegetables and fruits. If you don't want full blown diabetes you've got to ditch sugared soda and start viewing Popeye's as a once in a while thing.

    Show your body some love. Give it good nutritious food the majority of the time. Your body will thank you. :wink:
  • groversa
    groversa Posts: 450 Member
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    Start slow. What type of workouts are you doing? I do different things, depending on what I am feeling that day. Sometimes I'll do weights and jump around dancing, sometimes I do intervals between running and walking. And sometimes when I am feeling really sluggish or sore I'll go on the treadmill at 3.5 walking, turn on the tv and simply walk for anywhere from a half hour to an hour. When you have certain music or a show you like on, the time seems to go by faster and sometimes I forget I'm even working out if I am not doing high intensity.
    Start off slow is the key though.. when i started I would be out of breath FAST too, but the more I did it the more I could do without losing my breath. Just keep working, don't lose sight of your goal :)
  • GangreneHeart
    GangreneHeart Posts: 37
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    You can do one of two things. You can shoot for 4 minutes which is a minute more or you can find a new exercise DVD until you build your stamina. After years of not exercising at all, I started out with Leslie Sansone. She kinda corny, but her DVD's work. Good Luck to you !

    I like Leslie Sansone. I am using her 5 mile walk video right now. I haven't exercised regularly since the summer. After the hour workout, I am sweaty but happy.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    You just have to push through it. Tell yourself stopping is NOT an option. I'm sorry but 3 minutes here, 9 minutes there will not help you lose much weight. You don't want to cheat yourself by convincing yourself you can't do more than a few minutes. You can do it! Trust that you won't die or even faint if you push yourself.

    Sometimes I have to tell myself, just 10 more minutes, then you can stop. Just 5 more minutes, then you can stop. Or whatever. usually by the time those 5 or 10 minutes or whatever has passed I've got my second wind and can keep going. Also, I often tell myself Look here! You have had 3 children! This workout is NOTHING compared to childbirth, you survived that 3 times so you CAN do this! For real, it gets that serious sometimes. I have to dig deep and think of making it through childbirth. That helps LOL.

    You know what fat does with 3 minutes of exercise? it laughs. I don't want to make my fat laugh. I want to make my fat CRY. I want to beat it down and kill it off! ha ha

    Hah, I love this!

    OP, when I first started working out, I had to stop multiple times to get through 20 minutes of a 40 min step aerobics DVD just to catch my breath. I was very sore for several weeks. Set some small goals - for example, my first goal was to do the 20 minutes without stopping. When I reached that goal, I started doing 30 minutes, then the full 40, eventually the full 40 without breaks. I bet you'll be amazed how fast you'll progress. Now I run and I've noticed the first 5-10 minutes are the hardest that require the most mental stamina for me to push through.

    On the other hand, if you're having some sort of serious pain, be careful. I pulled a hamstring when I first started running and thought I should push through that pain. It required a week of rest before I felt like I could return to working out. It's hard sometimes to tell the difference between "I'm too tired and this is too hard," and "Stop Now because you're injuring yourself for real."
  • ColleenHollis
    ColleenHollis Posts: 53
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    You have to push through it. Your body is doing different things as to where it's pulling energy from so it does come down to a science. That 3 or 4 minute mark seems to be hard for me as well. But 5 minutes later the push gets easier and more fun. Keep it up :wink:
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    Okay here is my frustration! :explode: It's been a very, very, very long time since I exercised (about 3 months) So lately i've been trying to exercise...I get tired after 3 minutes of working out. I want to be able to make it through a 20 minute workout without feeling fatigue or having to quit so soon. I'm currently doing Turbo Jam...which is fun but I shouldn't be feeling this way. I'm trying to change my healthy lifestyle by exercising but dammit i'm almost to my breaking point. It's way too cold to be walking outside (hate cold weather) Any suggestions?
    Do what you can do. You're out of shape and it takes time to get back into shape. The expectation to do 20 minutes of vigorous workout when you haven't exercised in 3 months is usually unrealistic for most people.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    It didn't take me long to get back into exercise after having a baby, both times. 1st time I stopped exercising at 34 weeks pregnant, my baby was 10 days late, and I started exercising when he was 7 weeks old. I had no problems completing an hour's personal training session, step aerobics etc.

    I didn't exercise much in my 2nd pregnancy and it didn't take me long to get back into it either. Maybe being pregnant and carrying a huge baby round everywhere is hard work and keeps you fit :smile:

    I'd say just keep at it and you'll soon get into the routine again. If you were exercising regualrly before the 3 months then your body will remember.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    I almost always have to push through that first feeling of "I'm tired; it's hard". Once I get over that hump, the rest flows pretty easily. I always get a rush when I realize I'm halfway there.

    It's o.k. to back down and do something simple for a few steps when you're really wiped out. I remember when I was working on a 35-minute dance aerobic videotape, I'd just do a step-touch from side to side and watch the tape until I was recovered enough to plunge back in. Little by little I learned the routine and developed the stamina - I think it took 2 weeks of daily practice to get through the entire tape.

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