Elliptical - can't handle it!!

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iluvwdw
iluvwdw Posts: 287 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
OMG!! I bought an elliptical last year because I thought it would be easier and less painful than a treadmill. I cannot do it. I am dying after two minutes. Huffing and puffing. My cardio really needs work. I have issues with walking so I thought this would be better for me.

Will I ever be able to do this thing for longer than 5 mns without killing myself???? :(
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Replies

  • ErinGiam
    ErinGiam Posts: 396 Member
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    Keep at it, it will get better..I promise!!! I used to have a really hard time doing the elliptical too, but I just came back from doing 45 minutes of it at the gym and it feels amazing! Just take your time and it will happen..good luck :happy:
  • aymetcalf
    aymetcalf Posts: 597 Member
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    I agree, keep it up. try to add 30sec- 1 min every time you do it. So do 5min today and 6min tomorrow. It gets easier! :flowerforyou:
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
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    OMG!! I bought an elliptical last year because I thought it would be easier and less painful than a treadmill. I cannot do it. I am dying after two minutes. Huffing and puffing. My cardio really needs work. I have issues with walking so I thought this would be better for me.

    Will I ever be able to do this thing for longer than 5 mns without killing myself???? :(

    Yup it will get better! lol ... I'm a runner, and still get out of breath on that thing ... Just keep at it. Add a minute a day or something to start ?
  • nroesler
    nroesler Posts: 81
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    yes but slowly, listen to your body, you shouldn't be killing yourself. I'm the same with running right now. All I do is try to go 1 minute longer or 1 diffulty level harder than i did last time. Try that and you will be up to 15 or 20 minutes before you know it.
  • jessyjade22
    jessyjade22 Posts: 14
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    oh yeah, it gets easier. when i first started out i had to push myself to get to 6 minutes and now i can do about an hr as long as i stay entertained. if u watch tv or listen to fast music it helps not pay attention to how hard it is.
  • aba1604
    aba1604 Posts: 1
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    What works for me is setting a specific time goal and no matter what, not letting myself quit before I get there. Just chant over and over in your head "I will not stop until I hit __ minutes!" Start with something easy and then work your way up. One thing I tell myself when I am doing any kind of cardio is that I can go as slow as I want, but I am not allowed to stop!! Once I catch my breath, I speed back up again, then slow down again as needed, and so on. You can also use going in reverse as a little break. Another thing - I see girls at the gym using the elliptical at the easiest resistance and going super fast. Instead, put the resistance up a little and really use those muscles! You can go slower and you are actually getting a better quality workout. Hope I helped! You can do it!!
  • m012192
    m012192 Posts: 45
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    it will get better! I can do 65 minutes on it now and it feels sooo great when i'm done!
  • Avandel
    Avandel Posts: 283 Member
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    In the beginning I thought I was going to croak after 6 mins but now I can do 45 mins, half of that is going in reverse & look ma, no hands! Just take your time & don't give up.

    Oh yeah & I'm 59.
  • jessicajoy87
    jessicajoy87 Posts: 905
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    You know I had issues working out so I started doing Leslie Sansome videos. After doing them for a few weeks I really noticed a change in my endurance. I have never been able to run an entire mile without walking most of it but I found myself running the entire mile! I recommend her DVD's. You get an awesome workout and they have different levels and times lengths. Good Luck!
  • Shawna_831
    Shawna_831 Posts: 316
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    Just stay on the lowest level you can for now. The elliptical is harder at first but I promis you will get use to it. Soon you will be able to increase your intensity as well.
  • StarryEyedGirl
    StarryEyedGirl Posts: 585
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    what machine do you have? what brand and model I mean
  • Mom2Emery_Liam
    Mom2Emery_Liam Posts: 149
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    I agree, start with the lowest level and make small goals- start with 5 mins, then push towards 10 and so on. After working out with videos and what not for several months, I tried the elliptical at my parents house- my goal was 10 minutes. But every time 5 minutes went by, I just pushed myself further and further. I ended up doing 25 mins which was huge for me!

    Just keep at it, it's tough but just keep trying. I also alternate intensity and speed so that I'm not wearing myself out all at once.
  • cardigirl
    cardigirl Posts: 492 Member
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    Something my trainer told me which has helped me out tremendously is that if you can make the first 5 minutes your breathing and heart rate get in sync. I've found it to be true, especially when I was first trying the elliptical. The first 5 minutes was the toughest.

    I agree with the others to try to start with a lower setting and go for as long as you can, and slowly up the resistance and the time length you're on the elliptical, and soon you'll be going for as long as you want.
  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
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    When I started in January, I chose the elliptical as my method of exercise. At that time, I could barely manage the 20 minutes that I had set for myself 2x a week. I can now do 50 minutes (I could actually do quite a bit more except for my brain keeps telling me that I want to stop!!!). SO stick with it, because yes it will get easier and you will be able to do a killer workout on it! Wish I had one at my home!
  • shivah
    shivah Posts: 6
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    OMG!! I bought an elliptical last year because I thought it would be easier and less painful than a treadmill. I cannot do it. I am dying after two minutes. Huffing and puffing. My cardio really needs work. I have issues with walking so I thought this would be better for me.

    Will I ever be able to do this thing for longer than 5 mns without killing myself???? :(

    you know I really cant do standing machines - they dont work for me at all - I think that has to do a lot with my endurance :(
    I'll eventually get to those but instead to build it up that endurance I've been trying yoga for the past year - before yoga I could honestly say I would get winded after a short walk - yoga helped a lot with strength building, elasticity, and most importantly BREATHING. Hagatha Yoga is pretty good ..takes you thru a basic sun salutation moving after a while thru the exercises/poses faster and faster. building strength as you go, all the while making your breathing a huge part of the work out. For me, yoga works.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I have a great Ellip story! I had a friend who was a body builder. Mr Hottie McHotville and I was miss stumpy :laugh:

    Well I was walking on the tready and he pulled me off, put me on the ellip and told me to do 20 min. I made it 1........and really thought the oxygen mask was goign to fall from the ceiling and alarms go off!!

    I added a minute each night and was up to 10 minutes. I was dying....sweating and ready to jump off but had promised 10 minutes.......around minute 9 a young good looking dude came and stood in front of me like " Yeah, this old fat lady will be off in a second!!" I was so pissed I kept going.......and he never moved........so I kept going some more........before I knew it I had done 45 minutes!!!

    I took my sweaty butt over to him and said "HUH< I bet you thought you were gonna get my machine first!!"

    He smiles and says "Uh, no,......I am waiting for my wife who was on the machine next to you and she is taking her sweet time!!"

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Point is......I COULD do it. The only thing keeping me from 45 minute killer workout was DOING it!!

    I still worked my way up to 45 min by adding a few on each day.........but now I LOVE my elliptical and cant use any other machine!!

    Keep up the good work you CAN do it!!:flowerforyou:
  • EboniA
    EboniA Posts: 181 Member
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    Years ago, my friend worked at a gym and I went with him one day. I hopped on the elliptical since I'd never seen one before. After 2 minutes, I was sweating bullets and gasping for breath. I decided then and there that I would buy one. :laugh: I did and lost 30 pounds, never doing more than 30 minutes at a time. Now that I'm on this journey again, I still love the elliptical and I can do a lot more than 30 min.

    Hang in there. It could be a great thing once you build up to it.
  • JBennis1013
    JBennis1013 Posts: 377 Member
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    this prob sounds strange, but I find that the elliptical I have at home is much harder than the one at the gym. I can barely do 10 minutes on the one at home and have no prob doing 45 at the gym
  • iluvwdw
    iluvwdw Posts: 287 Member
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    I have a FreeSpirit Model No. 30709 if that helps I don't know the model name cause I can't find the instructions right now!! It is a 1,000 machine good quality but is wasn't this hard in the store!! What was I thinking??? LOL I would rather be doing the treadmill, at least I can stay with that one longer.
  • iluvwdw
    iluvwdw Posts: 287 Member
    Options
    OMG!! I bought an elliptical last year because I thought it would be easier and less painful than a treadmill. I cannot do it. I am dying after two minutes. Huffing and puffing. My cardio really needs work. I have issues with walking so I thought this would be better for me.

    Will I ever be able to do this thing for longer than 5 mns without killing myself???? :(

    you know I really cant do standing machines - they dont work for me at all - I think that has to do a lot with my endurance :(
    I'll eventually get to those but instead to build it up that endurance I've been trying yoga for the past year - before yoga I could honestly say I would get winded after a short walk - yoga helped a lot with strength building, elasticity, and most importantly BREATHING. Hagatha Yoga is pretty good ..takes you thru a basic sun salutation moving after a while thru the exercises/poses faster and faster. building strength as you go, all the while making your breathing a huge part of the work out. For me, yoga works.

    HA HA I just about died whenI saw a REAL yoga demo!! Here I thought I was doing yoga on the wii fit. :embarassed: Yes, I find just the stretching even if it is half-*&^&& yoga has really helped me with being able to walk further! So it has helped me in that sense. The wii fit still tells me every day I am a bit stiff, due to my fibro, so I think I will stick with that for a bit. However, I am looking into getting the "walk it out" or the "just dance" for the wii for my cardio.

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