Why do you think my usual exercise routine feels so much harder?

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MissMissy473
MissMissy473 Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,
I don't what it is, but ever since winter began I haven't been able to perform as well as I did -- I can't seem to run as fast or as long as I did before. I don't understand what's going on, since I run inside on a treadmill. is this normal? could this difficulty be related to my seasonal depression?

Thanks

Replies

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    Very much could be related to your SAD. I pretty much fail to workout at all during winter, it's brutal on my mood and energy.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Can you exercise outside? Hopefully the weather is nice for you. Just one little jaunt? Maybe that is all you need to put some spark in your step.
  • kaykaur6703
    kaykaur6703 Posts: 52 Member
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    Go for a walk that usual works for me.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Could be related to your SAD...could be that running on the treadmill is getting old as it's pretty boring...could be lots of things.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    How far/fast are you running.

    If you're grinding out the exact same distance at the exact same pace, you're going to hit a point where you reach equilibrium or worse, begin to backslide as your body adapts to the training.

    So, IF possible get outside. Vary your distance and pace... it doesn't have to be much, but mixing it up will keep you progressing. If your target is 3 miles/30 minutes. do 5 min walk warmup/cooldown and a 20 minute faster than usual run... or push to 35/40 minutes with a little more distance and a little slower pace.
  • acbraswell
    acbraswell Posts: 238 Member
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    stanmann571 wrote: »
    How far/fast are you running.

    If you're grinding out the exact same distance at the exact same pace, you're going to hit a point where you reach equilibrium or worse, begin to backslide as your body adapts to the training.

    So, IF possible get outside. Vary your distance and pace... it doesn't have to be much, but mixing it up will keep you progressing. If your target is 3 miles/30 minutes. do 5 min walk warmup/cooldown and a 20 minute faster than usual run... or push to 35/40 minutes with a little more distance and a little slower pace.

    This! There are some great treadmill workouts online where you vary the incline and speed. Runners' World online (most content is free) offers some great treadmill workouts for winter.

    Good luck!
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Absolutely could be your SAD. What are you currently doing to manage your symptoms?

    I've ultimately found an anti-depressant to be the most helpful - it gets me about 2/3 of the way to my usual self. From there, it's various self-care things, like a consistent bedtime routine, yoga at night, some sun when possible.

    January is always tough for me.

    ~Lyssa
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    make sure you are eating ENOUGH
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,694 Member
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    Could be depression. Could be your TM is not calibrated correctly. I was having real problems on mine. Running my normal pace felt really really difficult. Turned out it was stuck at a higher incline than I thought, so it was actually more difficult. By zeroing it out, I was able to run much more easily. Another possibility is ferritin/anemia or vitamin D. A few years ago running became really difficult. All my runs were a struggle. I was tested for anemia and came up normal, but I asked for a ferritin test and it was really low. I started taking iron supplements and within a month running was fun again.

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