working out not getting easier!

I have been working out by jogging/walking around my neighborhood 6 days a week for 10 weeks. The route I take is a lot of steep uphill and downhill. I walk the uphill and run the downhill and flat parts. The whole thing takes me about 45 minutes. Since I started it has not gotten easier and may have even gotten harder. I do stop and rest twice during the route. I bought a heart rate monitor and had trouble keeping it below 160, and it also said I burned 430 calories in 45 minutes. I do stop the monitor when I rest so it doesn't count that time, but does this number seem correct? Also, how come it is not getting easier for me to work out.

Replies

  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    Maybe you need more than one rest day? Maybe your body needs more fuel? Maybe you have improved but it's still a challenge so you only feel like you haven't improved?
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    The calories burned seem right, but that's really based on your HR and weight. But that's about what I'd burn.

    And yeah.....if you're building muscle, you might need to fuel differently.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Maybe cut down how often you go so your body has time to rest. If your body can't rest, it won't properly repair itself and allow you to go faster.

    Take rest days where you do something different. Make sure you are eating enough as well.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    First, you shouldn't do the same exercise every day, your body needs rest. Second, how many calories are you eating? If you do not fuel your body, your performance will suffer.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    The calories burned seem right, but that's really based on your HR and weight. But that's about what I'd burn.

    And yeah.....if you're building muscle, you might need to fuel differently.

    Well you can't build muscle walking, especially during a calorie deficit, so it's a mute point.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    More rest days...also understand that upping your level of fitness takes a great deal of time and patience.
  • Thanks for all the replies! I am new to MFP and to lose 1 pound a week, my net calories need to be at 1500. So far I have been keeping that, but initially I didn't have the heart rate monitor and thought I was only burning around 200 calories. Now I find out it is more than twice that, which is great, but if it is wrong, then my calories each day will be off. I guess the consensus is that I need more rest days. Maybe I should go 2 days on, 1 day off? It is hard for me to do another workout because I don't have a car and live out in the boonies so I am unable to get to the gym. And I would hate doing something from a video. Also, the people I live with work at home and I would be uncomfortable doing exercise in front of them in front of the TV. Maybe I just need more patience like someone mentioned. I just thought after almost 3 months it would be easier.