Holy cow....SOOOO out of shape!

I felt the same way too once I got on the elliptical machine for the first time. After five minutes I was panting so hard I thought I would pass out. So after a few days of being discouraged, I went back to the gym and got on the stationary bike. This was something I could do, I could do it for an hour. And once I feel I can handle the elliptical, I will get back on it. It takes time, but you'll get there.

I know it's discouraging, but you really will improve! Next week aim for 25 jumps at a time and so on, don't discouraged! And yes I think everyone has been there at some point... We all have to start somewhere, you just have to keep pushing yourself

I use to play tennis and run an 11minute mile and half, now i get winded walking to the refrigerator...it sucks, but it's gonna change.

Jump rope is high intensity. I'm in pretty good shape and we do 2 minute jump rope drills in one of my classes that nearly kill me everytime. I'd much rather run, cycle, jump over steps, do push ups or generally anything!

Jump rope is high intensity. I'm in pretty good shape and we do 2 minute jump rope drills in one of my classes that nearly kill me everytime. I'd much rather run, cycle, jump over steps, do push ups or generally anything!

This post is absolutely bang on. When jumping rope you are lifting your entire body of the ground, i.e. have to provide an enormous amount of force to overcome gravity, esp. if you are a bit heavier. This is very exhausting and not that useful for anyone much out of shape b/c you simply will not be able to sustain that for very long. Instead I would recommend stair climbing, even speed walking, jogging, even squats with the occasional jump thrown in. Much better for your ankles also until you feel stronger.
And yes, it is cool to log the number of minutes (seconds) you can perform an activity just to chart and see your progress. When we are quite out of shape it is no reason to be discouraged. Instead a side benefit b/c even small amounts of exercising and better eating will soon show clear improvements. The time to get discouraged is when you are super super fit and try to improve your running time by 0.2 seconds after weeks of training:) So rejoice. LIfe is good.

NO! You're not the only one! I know misery loves company-so you've got some. I used to play sports, basketball and track and field, and I wasn't too bad. Now I'm getting out of breath walking down the street! That's about my speed now. Hopefully before long I'll be able to jog. LOL! :embarassed: :laugh:

Yes, you are the only one. And there is no hope.

Hahaha, I keeed of course. Keep at it. Jumping rope is actually pretty tiring. Enjoy the journey; seeing one's fitness improve is very satisfying.

LOLOLOL.

We are here to bring discouragement! LOL For a long time I kept an e-mail of de-motivational posters. It was so funny.

The first time I went to the gym, I jumped on the stairmaster. After a full 5 minutes I walked over to the trash can and begged myself not to throw up. A couple of weeks ago I did a 10 mile hike in a rugged area. So yep, there's hope.

A) You are most definitely NOT the only one "that" out of shape! I just took up running, and let me tell you that no matter how "in shape" I feel when I do anything else, running lets me know just how wrong I am!

To improve, just keep doing it! Add a few more jumps to each workout you do. This same idea works for me, as well - the Couch 2 5k running plan starts you off at like, a minute of running, with 4 minutes of walking in between. So far, I'm am at the 3 minutes running, 1.5 minutes walking; 5 minutes running, 2.5 minutes walking. That's FIVE minutes of running at a time, TWICE per each of my workouts. I never thought I'd be able to run for five minutes straight, let alone twice in 30 minutes, with another 6 minutes thrown in for good measure!

So you are not alone, and keep up the good work!!

Hey if you are coordinated enough to jump the rope that many times you are doing well. I am in decent shape, but struggle to jump rope without strangling myself or getting the rope wrapped around my legs. If you can do it, it is a wonderful exercise.

To improve, work up slowly over time. I would suggest, if you want to keep at the jump rope, to do a bunch of short sessions throughout the day. Maybe a bunch is an overstatement. Maybe 3 or 4 sessions. Over time you will find your body gets better at it, and you can go longer. Then you can think about one longer session. Also, don't fear doing intense activity say jump rope for a short period of time, then rest by marching in place while your heart rate recovers. Repeat the pattern a few times. This is basically a type of Interval training that is far superior to going at a steady pace for a long period of time.

I think we think about activities we used to do when we were kids and get discouraged when we cant do them like a kid. Let me tell you things have changed since we were kids. But keep it up!!

I started working out in november. I could hardly go up stairs without losing my breath. After 15 min of zumba dvd I was on the floor gagging and seeing stars. On day 2 i could go 20 min without collapsing. Then 25 min and so on. Now I can go for well over an hour and still have energy to keep my house clean. Stick with it and be patient. You can do it!