Walking tires me out
juliaky84
Posts: 72 Member
Hi all,
I am trying to increase my step count. Average day is 3000 steps Some effort gets me 5000 steps. Working harder gets me 7500 steps a day which is my goal - even this amount REALLY tires me out and makes me sore. It's not that much! Why am I so tired from this amount?
I am trying to increase my step count. Average day is 3000 steps Some effort gets me 5000 steps. Working harder gets me 7500 steps a day which is my goal - even this amount REALLY tires me out and makes me sore. It's not that much! Why am I so tired from this amount?
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Replies
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Simply because you're not used to it. Keep at it, and your endurance will improve!0
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jennifer_417 wrote: »Simply because you're not used to it. Keep at it, and your endurance will improve!
Yup. And you might be surprised how quickly this happens. In no time at all you might find yourself shooting for 30k or more, just to do it, because you've built up enough endurance that you know you can.0 -
Lourdesong wrote: »jennifer_417 wrote: »Simply because you're not used to it. Keep at it, and your endurance will improve!
Yup. And you might be surprised how quickly this happens. In no time at all you might find yourself shooting for 30k or more, just to do it, because you've built up enough endurance that you know you can.
Agreed. Keep going at least 5 days per week because if you take too many rest days in a row, you will lose that endurance quickly.0 -
Also consider your footwear. As a hiker, I try to follow the old army saying that "1 lb. on your feet equals 5 lbs. on your back" (or something like that). Light-weight, comfortable, and supportive footwear can help with fatigue.0
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Me too! And I'm addicted!! My biggest step day so far is 30000. Keep it goin'0
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Another vote to keep at it and make sure you have good shoes. I have knee issues and like Asics Gel.0
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I was having trouble with extreme fatigue when I walked or did housework. It turned out to be a thyroid problem. Once I got that straighten out, there was no stopping me!
Be sure to rule out any possible medical issues.0 -
It gets better the longer you keep at it. I was only able to get 3K at first and now regularly get 10K - most are intentional exercise. That's after 4 months of at least 5 days a week. I usually walk intentionally for exercise 6 days. I'm working on speeding up using Couch to 5K. I speed walk when I'm supposed to run.
I wore Keds when I started and quickly realized they were killing me. Now I have a pair of Brooks. I'll never go back to Keds despite how ugly I think running shoes are and the expense. Next pair I'm going to a running store and get a proper fitting.
Wearing good shoes definitely helped me increase my endurance. The difference was night and day.0 -
With an average of 3000, I think a goal of 7500 is too much right now. At least it was for me. I hit the wall trying for 6000 every day, and had a setback. I started back at 3000, and SLOWLY raised my goal. I don't raise my goal until I can easily meet my current goal every day for at least a week. I've seen some suggest raising goals by 10% each week. I went from 3000, to 3500, to 4000, to 5000. It's taken a while. Now I can do 5000 almost every day. Pushing yourself too much leads to burnout (and sometimes injury). It's more important to be consistent with walking than to reach a high number.0
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I agree with the advice to get thyroid checked. And good shoes! Also, as I have other health issues that cause fatigue, I found it helpful to use a walking stick (not a crutch but a tall hiking stick). A sturdy branch about 3/4" in diamater will work, or you can get a real nice one on ebay for not too much. I found that it just helps stabilize my walk enough to really cut down the fatigue. A short walk is better than none...just add a little bit every few days and build your endurance slowly. Not all of us can do 10 or 20 or 30,000 steps in a day!0
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With an average of 3000, I think a goal of 7500 is too much right now. At least it was for me. I hit the wall trying for 6000 every day, and had a setback. I started back at 3000, and SLOWLY raised my goal. I don't raise my goal until I can easily meet my current goal every day for at least a week. I've seen some suggest raising goals by 10% each week. I went from 3000, to 3500, to 4000, to 5000. It's taken a while. Now I can do 5000 almost every day. Pushing yourself too much leads to burnout (and sometimes injury). It's more important to be consistent with walking than to reach a high number.
I agree with this. It's hard to know how much to push yourself. You don't want to do too much and have a setback but you want to do what you are able to do. Hard to find that balance.0 -
Are you tired in general? Does sleep help? I go to the dr like others said.0
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You will get there. When I got my Fitbit I was shocked to see I only walked about 3000 steps on average. I started added 500 more as a goal each week. Now I feel weird if I haven't made 8000 by lunch time.
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I used to have to lay down for an hour after walking 1 mile at a slow pace. Now I power walk every day from 3 to 7 miles at a 4 to 4.5 mph pace. That combined with my regular steps gives me well over 10,000 steps per day.
If you plan on doing it every day invest in a good pair of running/walking shoes.0 -
Maybe 7500 is too much of a jump from your average 3000 steps. If 5000 steps is challenging for you right now why not make that your goal for a few weeks and then increase when that is easy for you?
5000 is more than 3000. It is okay to increase your activity gradually.
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Up your steps gradually. Doing 3000 now? Aim for 4000. When you can do that comfortably, add another 1000 to it. Giving yourself time to get used to extra exercise makes it easier to stick with it.0
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I sounded just like you last year year. I went to the doctor and was put in a high_strength prescription NSAID fot heart inflammation. It made a world of difference. Go, see if you have an underlying medical condition, and BE PERSISTANT!0
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Given that you're sore, I'd put my money on out of shape over medical problem, but keep an eye on it.0
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How long has it been since you started walking?
I'm going to go against trend here and say that it is worrisome for a 31-year-old who is only 8 pounds overweight to be struggling so much with so few steps.
Slowly increasing your goal and walking every day are both good ideas...but if you are still feeling really tired after a month or so, it might be worth checking in with your doctor about this.0 -
Increase your goal by ten percent from 3,000. Do that until it feels natural. Then go to 3,600, and so on. Fitness is gradual.0
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BrianSharpe wrote: »
Agreed. Definitely get your blood work done.0 -
You want to lose only 8 lbs which tells me that you are not extreme obese or anything ( just a guess)
You are young ( 31 years old your profile says)
So i must say the amount of walking shouldnt give you any problems at all.
A couple of things can be wrong here.
1. of all out of shape ( but still when you get so tired that is extreme)
2. do you eat enough? How much calories a day?
3. and most important one....see a doctor
Being tired of a bit of walking like that is not normal For somebody of your age and weight ( if you are indeed in a healthy weight range.)
Being out of shape shouldn't even matter in this case.
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I remember posting something similar on a different forum about 5 years ago and i was ripped apart for being lazy and not trying hard enough! So it's nice to see the positive responses here
In my case I discovered I was VERY low on iron & vitamin D (low levels leave you feeling fatigued). Plus I found food intolerances - eggs, wheat, dairy. Keep a food & sleep diary for a week then take it to your dr and ask for full bloodwork. They are more likely to take you seriously if they see YOU are taking it seriously You shouldn't be feeling that tired from the levels you are doing, I would definitely think something else is going on. 0 -
Last semester I was easily getting over 10,000 a day, but this semester my schedule is completely different (plus not wearing my Fitbit for a LONG time) I was shocked that I was down to around 3,000 steps a day. I got myself back into gear and decided to get 10,000 every day! Boy did that fail quickly. I got about 5-6,000 in and went back in because I was so tired. The next day(s) I was SORE. I let myself get completely out of shape and this is the consequence. I've been slowly working my way back up since then.
However, I will say that the only reason I was able to do that last semester was because I had my thyroid checked. Turns out I was low and that was causing some pretty strong exhaustion. If I'd tried anything like 10,000 steps before starting the medicine they gave me I would have dropped like a fly, so I definitely second at least having your blood work done if nothing else. Also very helpful in my experience is making sure to eat enough protein and iron. When I get enough of those two I can definitely tell a difference in how I feel.0 -
Keep walking. Each day do a little walking and I promise you will get stronger and will gain endurance. Be sure to listen to your body though and slowly build your way up.
When I first got started I could barely walk 1/4 of a mile without getting out or breath and winded.
Now I walk between 3 - 6 miles a day. Today I walked for 8 miles and I feel fantastic! I'm not tired or sore and I actually want to do more miles.
It took me 3 and a half years to get here, but I kept on walking and will be training for my first half-marathon early next year.
To be on the safe side I would get checked out to make sure you are healthy.0 -
Not eating enough to sustain your activity can cause you to be very tired. It can also make it hard to focus mentally on things.
How many calories a day are you eating?0 -
Yes to the iron(blood ferritin) level and thyroid checks! I was 27, could barely climb stairs and the docs loved to blame it on the fact that I have 3 kids. Get checked out!! I had both the above problems and am now a year into treatment and feel so much better! Talk to your health team and don't give up!0
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Hi all,
I am trying to increase my step count. Average day is 3000 steps Some effort gets me 5000 steps. Working harder gets me 7500 steps a day which is my goal - even this amount REALLY tires me out and makes me sore. It's not that much! Why am I so tired from this amount?
Have you been to the doctor lately for a blood tests? A thyroid panel may reveal something.0 -
I'd get a check-up. 3000 steps is around what I get if I'm at home all day just puttering around doing household tasks and such. I get 6000+ working on a big campus, and I'm still not tired from that (just from dealing with my students), and I'm almost twice your age.0
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