Elliptical Help Please!
Scampydoo2
Posts: 12 Member
I'm new to my elliptical and need some encouragement. I get really tired after even 5 minutes on it. Does anyone have suggestions on how to start with this machine so it does not become my enemy??? Many thanks - Gini:ohwell:
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Replies
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Everyone starts somewhere! I started out sucking wind with rubber legs after 2 minutes.
There's nothing wrong with 5 minutes. When 5 minutes becomes easier, increase the resistance,or the incline,or your distance,or your speed ... or some combination of all of these.0 -
try something else??
try rowing... or swimming or zumba.
otherwise- slow down and just relax- put on your favorite jam... and don't worry about getting tired- that's kind the point.
I spin- and to be honest- the first 5 minutes are complete and utter torture for me- I feel like I'm NEVER going to make it- but as long as I break that 5 minute threshhold- I'm fine. Which often means- just WARM UP- nice and easy... put a towel over the monitor.. starting at the seconds go by is AWFUL.0 -
Go 5 minutes, then slow way down for a few minutes, then do a few minutes again at a faster pace. then slow down again. repeat for about 15 minutes. next week 20 minutes. week after, 30 minutes...0
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I must agree with the others! When I burned out and gained 20 pounds back that I had lost I started uber slow! I was not looking at anyone except me and my goal. My goal as yours is, is to get stronger. Only time and effort will provide the strength necessary and that formula has and always will work. I started jogging lightly for 10-20 minutes only 2 times a week on a treadmill; and after the third week I added another day, and after 2 more weeks I added 10 minutes, and then I was at about 30 minutes for treadmill and just messed with the hills to boost my speed....you see minutes can really add to your routine and goes along way! and if you just focus on good music then dont look at the time but just sway to the beat of the tempo!
Have fun, what ever YOU can do to add fun and get your mind off to pass time...do it and you I hope you will pull through it:)
Side note if your diet is controlled then you should have the energy and momentum you need. If not you have to focus on the types of foods your body needs to function...if all else fails try some green tea for a healthy alternative for energy. It works for a lot of us who need that extra go!0 -
I find elliptical workouts to be excruciating if I don't maximally distract myself. If I can help it, I never step onto an elliptical without music blaring in my headphones and a good book in my hand. A good tune can ensure I keep my pace up, a good book keeps me distracted and prevents me from watching the seconds/hundredths of a mile tick by, and holding my body steady enough to read comfortably means I have to sink more weight down into my legs and use some of my stabilizing muscles.
Also, if you have choices as to the style of elliptical, try them all. I find that I have strong preferences for some machines over others!0 -
Wow! Thank you all for your responses! At almost 63 and not doing any exercise for a number of years and trying to get back is an amazing journey. I used to be so in shape - now I'm 24 pounds overweight. I can walk like the wind but this machine tires me out like mad even after a few minutes. I haven't exercised in several years because of a heart problem. It's gone now and I need to lose this weight because my life in my senior years needs to be of quality. I dial my Brisa to 1 and it really tries my whole body. The best I've got right now is 1/2 mile on one and I am rubbered legged!
Again, thanks for the info. Very much appreciated! Gini :happy:0 -
I can do over an hour on the elliptical NOW. when I started I could barely last two minutes. build up slowly, and ice you get the gang of the movement, start paying attention to resistance levels and speed ( I'm 53btw, and I prefer the elliptical to the treadmill)0
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Hi, Everybody starts out somewhere. When I started the elliptical, it was for about ten minutes. Now i can do 45. But I still don't use much resistance, even though many around me seem to go faster and use more resistance. It can take a while to get use to this machine, but it does offer a good cardiovascular reward.0
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I like the elliptical over the treadmill. The treadmill seems to hurt my knees. I would just take it slow and find something to distract you. I have been reading books on my Kindle lately. I will only let myself read when I am on the elliptical - my motivator. I use to always listen to some fast tunes to help.0
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I echo what most of the others have stated. When I first started the elliptical, I hopped off of it after 2 minutes (if THAT long) because it was "too hard" for me. Now I can do it for 45 minutes (as long as I have my music blaring) and its actually my exercise of choice. Stick with it, start out slow, and increase your time in small increments. It'll get easier the more you do it . 0
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Ellipticals KILL me. My heart rate goes insane after about three minutes, yeesh. I agree with others that 5 minutes is better than nothing. And I agree with others who say perhaps trying something else while you build up your endurance might work, too. I prefer the treadmill - I can sustain a longer workout that doesn't leave my ribcage feeling like an alien is about to burst through it.0
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It takes awhile, I started on with intervals
crossramp 4, resistance 1 for 4 minutes and then CR 10, RES 6 for 4 minutes, total of 32 minutes
after a few months I now do it at CR 4, RES 14 and CR 10, RES 16 for the same times.0 -
Go 5 minutes, then slow way down for a few minutes, then do a few minutes again at a faster pace. then slow down again. repeat for about 15 minutes. next week 20 minutes. week after, 30 minutes...
This is good advice. It takes awhile to get used to. The first time I went on (not that long ago) I could only do 5 minutes. Now I am up to 30 minutes per session.0 -
I was in decent shape the first time I ever got on one of those and it was TOUGH! I lasted about five minutes, too.I'm new to my elliptical and need some encouragement. I get really tired after even 5 minutes on it. Does anyone have suggestions on how to start with this machine so it does not become my enemy??? Many thanks - Gini:ohwell:
Just keep at it. I can go for hours now.0 -
When I first did the elliptical, I could only do about 5 minutes as well. Now I do up to an hour or so. It takes some adjusting.0
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keep at it and be patient0
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when i started on the elliptical in january i thought i would pass out after 3 min, i am now up to 40 min a day and loving it!! it is what has helped me lose 81 lbs this year!0
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keep building up your time and maybe watch tv/listen to music and just do it. I struggled with 10mins on my stationary bike at first then pushed myself for 1hr by watching a favorite tv show0
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The very first time I tried an elliptical, I thought I was in good shape...I could easily walk fast on the treadmill for over an hour no problem, because that's what my body got used to. When I tried it out, I thought 5 min would kill me! Now I've come to enjoy the elliptical so much more than the treadmill (achy knees) and I can go about an hour on the elliptical. Last week they were working on them, and I had to do the treadmill instead. I thought I would die on the treadmill after 10 minutes. So, it's all what your body is used to. Everything seems really hard for me until I stick with it for a while. Don't get discouraged. I think it's totally normal. What helps me is turning on the tv in the workout room to something I'm interested in so I'm not looking at the panel. Don't worry at first about how fast or slow you're going or even that you're on the easiest resistance. Just stay on it. Once you've done it a while and build up your time on it gradually, then add some resistance or incline. Then it will be tough all over again! 0
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I STARTED AT 8 MIN AND EVERY WEEK I ADDED A MIN, I NOW DO 33 MIN AT A TIME ON THE ELIPTICAL AND AM NOT NEARLY AS EXHAUSTED AFTER 33 AS I WAS WHEN I STARTE AT JUST 8 LOL0
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I agree with many of the other posters - start out slow. I could barely do 5 minutes myself when I started 6 months ago, now I'm at 30 minutes (and most of the time could actually do more).0
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I STARTED AT 8 MIN AND EVERY WEEK I ADDED A MIN, I NOW DO 33 MIN AT A TIME ON THE ELIPTICAL AND AM NOT NEARLY AS EXHAUSTED AFTER 33 AS I WAS WHEN I STARTE AT JUST 8 LOL
lol sorry about the all caps, i wasnt yelling just forgot they were on0 -
Thank you for this thread- my elipitcal is unused at this moment and colleting dust for the same reason - i need to be patient0
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When/if you're deconditioned (or new to an activity), you start out by building the neuromuscular ability, then progress to building muscle for that activity. Personally when I took two years off of working out, even walking for a short distance was challenging for me, and I've been very athletic in the past (marathons, snowboarding, gymnastics). Give it a week, and as others posters have suggested, use good music and/or TV shows that make you laugh. Also you might try only doing 5-10 minutes for the whole workout on the elliptical, but do high intensity intervals of 30 seconds difficult, 30 seconds easy/rest, so you know it will be a SHORT challenge 0
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I've had my elliptical hybrid for almost a month now and when I did the workout dvd it switch from 5 mins on the recumbent bike to 5 mins on the elliptical, and 2 mins in I was spent..... Now I'm up to 15 mins. So just up your time a min each week. And take your time!! Good luck!0
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Like everyone else build up slowly. When i started I could only manage a couple of minutes before I thought i would collapse. I have been building up slowly and now can manage 15-20minutes. I know its getting better each time i get on it. I now listen to music and as i go I think i can get to the end of this track, then I can do the next track. It takes your mind off, how long have i been on here.0
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I had the same problem! I downloaded the C25K program (a running program that takes you from the couch to a 5K in 8 weeks) and used it on the elliptical. It starts with a minute of running and a minute of walking alternating for 20 minutes, with a 5 minute warm up and cool down. I increased the resistance for the running, or tried to do it faster, and lowered the resistance and went much slower for the walking segments. I loved the alternating between speeds and resistance because it passed the time faster and I was focusing so much on the changes that I actually lost track of time and went longer than I thought I could. Cover up the timer on the machine too so you don't really know how long you've been at it (I had a mental barrier about how long I could go). After 8 weeks I was able to go for 30 minutes at a pretty good resistance plus some incline!
Don't feel bad if you can't do even this for more than 5-10 minutes. It takes time to build up endurance. Start slow. If you decide to use C25K, don't be afraid to repeat weeks if you're not ready to advance. But also don't be afraid to challenge yourself. When you feel like you can't go any more, go 30 more seconds or a minute. You'll be amazed at what you really can do!0 -
I have to say that the first 10-15 minutes are the hardest when you're on one. But after that, somehow my body kicks in and I can do till 1 hour. It is always hard at first for me even though I been doing it for quite a while. Push through and you will feel good doing it after 10-15 minutes. Allow short rest but not a lot but that get your body to be more lazy in my opinion with my experience.0
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I have an elliptical in my garage that I rarely use unless the weather is not good and I am stuck at the house and even then I hate it. I just find it boring. To make the time go by, I installed a TV just to take my mind off it. This helps. I prefer a run to the elliptical but the elliptical to nothing at all.
Since you are new, start low, 5 minutes low resistance, next time add a little more resistance and time and don't get discouraged. Before you know it 20 minutes will turn into 30, then 45 and 60 and by that time you'll want to get off the damn thing and start jogging outside.0 -
I started out exactly where you are and can now do 20 minutes on level 2. It's not great, but it's something!
The personal trainer at my gym said either up the resistance or the time - by as many minutes as you can stand - every couple of weeks. I've been increasing like a minute or two per week. It gets easier. I also agree with tiffanydang12, it gets easier the longer you're on. I usually find myself a little disappointed that my time is up. But, I don't want to overdo it, so I usually stop at the time I've set it to.0
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