Help...Out of breath when excersising

Options
lucky078
lucky078 Posts: 22 Member
in Getting Started
Hi there, I am fairly new to this site but am finding it great so far...I am managing to stay within my calories and have started to loose some weight. I am trying to increase my exercise but as an ex smoker I am finding my breathing/lung capacity is really holding me back. I have just been out for a small jog, but found I couldnt manage even 90 seconds of jogging due to my breathing...does anyone have any help or advise about how I can build my lung capacity up? Thanks!!
«13

Replies

  • JustMe2691
    JustMe2691 Posts: 111 Member
    Options
    Start slow. Walk with short (very short) periods of jogging. Walk 2 minutes, jog 20 seconds. Then keep doing that until you complete your walk. If you can up the jogging by 5 seconds the next time, do that. If not, keep doing 20 second jogging until you are able to handle more. You don't have to run a 5k just starting out.
  • jenstanley13
    jenstanley13 Posts: 194 Member
    Options
    Try walking and add short jogging intervals in there, go back to walking until you catch your breath then jog a little more. Cardio endurance (and lung capacity) is something that has to be built up over time.
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    Options
    I'm an ex smoker as well! Trust me, it gets easier. Continue with your walk/jogs. What helps me is focusing on breathing in and out in rhythm with my pace. Step, step, step step= in, in, out, out.
  • JustMe2691
    JustMe2691 Posts: 111 Member
    Options
    StrongAsFuarkBear wrote: »
    go to your doctor and perhaps to a respiratory medical professional. They will do bloodwork and tests for breathing etc. Also drop down to around 100-115lbs total weight. so u dont have to carry all the mass , might increase quality of life due to easiness to move etc.

    No. You don't know what her current stats are or if 100-115 lbs is an accurate body mass for her. She's asking about how to increase her breathing capacity/ability.

  • dirtyflirty30
    dirtyflirty30 Posts: 224 Member
    Options
    1) Start with seeing a doctor to make sure there are no medical conditions hindering you. If you get the green light, check out C25K (couch to 5k)! It's a really helpful training program that slowly builds you up to running.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Options
    JustMe2691 wrote: »
    Start slow. Walk with short (very short) periods of jogging. Walk 2 minutes, jog 20 seconds. Then keep doing that until you complete your walk. If you can up the jogging by 5 seconds the next time, do that. If not, keep doing 20 second jogging until you are able to handle more. You don't have to run a 5k just starting out.

    This^

    Build your endurance up. I'm older and started off slowly.

    I started with Leslie Sansone "walking" DVDs. The beauty of these.....no choreography. You can go at your own pace and build. There are also Leslie DVDs with what she calls "boosted walking"....jogging.
  • lucky078
    lucky078 Posts: 22 Member
    Options
    Thanks everyone....I'll start with smaller intervals and possibly go and see the doctor if it doesn't ease, I'll have a look at the c25k as well...I am not sure about the 100lbs, think I would be pretty underweight at that!!! But I understand that loosing weight will also help my breathing...thanks for the support :)
  • dirtyflirty30
    dirtyflirty30 Posts: 224 Member
    Options
    UltimateRBF wrote: »
    90 seconds is a pretty good start actually. I could only do about that, maybe even less when I started running and I've never smoked. I'm just fat...

    This. When I started C25K, the 60 second intervals made me feel like my lungs would explode.
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
    Options
    With time, your lungs do improve, both from your body clearing out the tar and repairing the lung damage and from building up a tolerance to exercise. It does get better.

    Also congrats on quitting smoking! Quitting smoking sucks so bad, I never want to have to do it again.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Options
    Practice box breathing throughout the day - 4 count in, 4 count hold, 4 count out, 4 count hold - repeat. In through your nose, out through the mouth.

    As others have stated do walk/run interval training and keep logging your progress.

    Congrats on cleaner lungs!
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    Options
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Practice box breathing throughout the day - 4 count in, 4 count hold, 4 count out, 4 count hold - repeat. In through your nose, out through the mouth.

    As others have stated do walk/run interval training and keep logging your progress.

    Congrats on cleaner lungs!

    I was actually about to recommend this. I've been taught this in vocal theory as a way to be able to hold notes for longer. Granted, I'm not an ex-smoker, but I am an asthmatic, so I thought I was going to be stuck with a low lung capacity. This helped me greatly increase it.
  • lucky078
    lucky078 Posts: 22 Member
    Options

    Thank you, I will definitely try this as well
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    edited June 2015
    Options
    it gets easier
    no trick, just keep working on it and you will improve
  • lucky078
    lucky078 Posts: 22 Member
    Options
    UltimateRBF wrote: »
    dirtyflirty30 wrote: »
    UltimateRBF wrote: »
    90 seconds is a pretty good start actually. I could only do about that, maybe even less when I started running and I've never smoked. I'm just fat...

    This. When I started C25K, the 60 second intervals made me feel like my lungs would explode.

    Haha same! I'm into week 7 at the moment. Just cracked the "run for 20 minutes straight" barrier.

    Great...it does get better then!
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    Options
    StrongAsFuarkBear wrote: »
    UltimateRBF wrote: »
    StrongAsFuarkBear wrote: »
    go to your doctor and perhaps to a respiratory medical professional. They will do bloodwork and tests for breathing etc. Also drop down to around 100-115lbs total weight. so u dont have to carry all the mass , might increase quality of life due to easiness to move etc.

    What?


    if a beginner 6 foot tall MALE weight around 140-150lbs at 10% bodyfat, it definately means that NO female should weight over that number.

    Any female heavier than 130lbs is NOT a health oriented human. This is not a fat acceptance forums.

    What in the actual f...
  • JustMe2691
    JustMe2691 Posts: 111 Member
    Options
    [/quote]


    if a beginner 6 foot tall MALE weight around 140-150lbs at 10% bodyfat, it definately means that NO female should weight over that number.

    Any female heavier than 130lbs is NOT a health oriented human. This is not a fat acceptance forums.[/quote]


    And here's my laugh for the day. Thanks, that's just plain ridiculous.

Categories