Elliptical

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lmarwest75
lmarwest75 Posts: 5 Member
in Motivation and Support
So I recently broke my treadmill by going 3.0mph for 30 minutes twice a day. Not much but it assisted with me losing 16lbs in one month. Now I have to use the elliptical and I can only go 20 minutes before my feet start to tingle and feel like they've fallen asleep. Does anyone know why this is happening and how to prevent it? At 5'1" am I too short for it? Please someone help. ~Lisa

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  • softballmonkey45
    softballmonkey45 Posts: 11 Member
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    The same thing happens to me as well when I am on the elliptical for a long time. I think it is because we are constantly keeping pressure on the balls of our feet, and never lifting them which probably decreases blood supply to that area and causes the tingling. Whereas, in running or doing the stair stepper, you are lifting your feet with every move. Try lifting your feet when you pedal a little. It helped me some.
  • AlineJames
    AlineJames Posts: 10 Member
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    When my feet start to tingle I switch to going backwards on the elliptical for a few minutes, it works every time.
  • joepratt503
    joepratt503 Posts: 191 Member
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    I find that when my feet start to tingle I know I have been pushing on the balls of my feet...sit back and drive through your heels more. Also, if you focus on the arm movements a minute every 5-10ish and that will take pressure off your feet (and help make it a little less single tone).
  • lmarwest75
    lmarwest75 Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks for the ideas!! I did get back on and was able to go for 25 minutes lifting my feet and even rocking them. Tomorrow I will totally try the backwards trick! Thanks so much! It really means a lot to me. I hate that elliptical but I hate my fat more. <3
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
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    I've also noticed that the type of shoes I wear has an effect on this - I have a pair of newer running shoes that have a thicker sole at the heel, and they cause my feet to tingle more; I'm not sure if the higher heel causes me to put more weight on the balls of my feet. I find that if I wear shoes with flat and uniform soles, I run into this issue less. And like other people have said, I will also try to pick up my feet up off the pedals for a minute or two if they start to fall asleep.
  • joepratt503
    joepratt503 Posts: 191 Member
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    CaffeinatedConfectionist wrote: »
    I've also noticed that the type of shoes I wear has an effect on this - I have a pair of newer running shoes that have a thicker sole at the heel, and they cause my feet to tingle more; I'm not sure if the higher heel causes me to put more weight on the balls of my feet. I find that if I wear shoes with flat and uniform soles, I run into this issue less. And like other people have said, I will also try to pick up my feet up off the pedals for a minute or two if they start to fall asleep.

    Totally agree, the high heels push your weight forward. Flatter shoes definitely help keep the feet from tingling.
  • lmarwest75
    lmarwest75 Posts: 5 Member
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    I can not thank you guys enough!! I was feeling very discouraged. Knowing that I'm not the only one with that issue helps my motivation! I CAN do this and I WILL!! Thanks!
  • kampshoff
    kampshoff Posts: 133 Member
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    Same thing happened to me just yesterday. I usually go a half hour on the elliptical, but I did 45 minutes this time. Going backwards for a minute or two eliminated the tingling sensation.
  • Sandcastles61
    Sandcastles61 Posts: 506 Member
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    I have a question for all of you.... I see so many people putting up huge calorie burns using an elliptical. But I'm a little under 5' and I'm not sure I can manage the stride length??? I've never used one, but I've looked into them online a bit. Any ideas if this is an option for a "shorty" ?
  • lmarwest75
    lmarwest75 Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm 5'1" and I can say that the peddles of the elliptical seem to be ever so slightly wider than my shoulders. I feel that I am a little too short for it. Luckily my husband is mechanically inclined and was able to fix my treadmill. So today I did a little time on both.
  • lmarwest75
    lmarwest75 Posts: 5 Member
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    The peddles seem to be long enough to accommodate shorter heights but for me they're too far apart. Just a bit.
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
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    AlineJames wrote: »
    When my feet start to tingle I switch to going backwards on the elliptical for a few minutes, it works every time.

    That's exactly what I do. And if you pedal backward and keep your arms free, it is also great for your abs.
  • Sandcastles61
    Sandcastles61 Posts: 506 Member
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    lmarwest75 wrote: »
    I'm 5'1" and I can say that the peddles of the elliptical seem to be ever so slightly wider than my shoulders. I feel that I am a little too short for it. Luckily my husband is mechanically inclined and was able to fix my treadmill. So today I did a little time on both.

    Thank you.... I was afraid of that :\
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,716 Member
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    Sandcastles61 wrote: »
    lmarwest75 wrote: »
    I'm 5'1" and I can say that the peddles of the elliptical seem to be ever so slightly wider than my shoulders. I feel that I am a little too short for it. Luckily my husband is mechanically inclined and was able to fix my treadmill. So today I did a little time on both.

    Thank you.... I was afraid of that :\

    Try different brands / types of ellipticals before you write them off. I'm 5'1" and I can only use certain ones at the gym. Others are much too big for me. The one I use the most is a Precor brand. It's older, but it is smaller and the handles are stationary, therefore, I DON"T hold on at all and just swing my arms like I do when I'm walking and I get in a great core workout, too!
  • Katetw
    Katetw Posts: 188 Member
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    I'm 4'10" and use ellipticals at gyms (so I can't alter them) and have never had a problem with it.

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