Help: Cardio for beginners?
 

Today, I tried going for a jog. Was aiming for 15 minutes consisting of 2 minutes of jogging and 1 minute of walking repeated 5 times.

On my at the end of my 2nd repeat, I already felt like shit. Fatigued, wanting to puke, so on. At this point, I just wanted to go home but I decide to try for a 3rd repeat. At the end of this, I was kneeling over on a side walk and gagging so much.

I'm 5'9 and I'm 177 lbs. I'm obviously unfit and I have no stamina at all. I just got home form that jog attempt and i'm sweating buckets and I feel nauseated.

So I need help. I wanna get fit but I feel like shit everytime I attempt to go jogging.

Any suggestions?

Edit: 30 minutes later i still feel like puking imaginary food. =/

If you want to build your cardio...start at the gym!

Excercise bikes and Elliptical machines are the best for beginners.


At the start, i hated running for cardio...but it was something that in time developed. But make sure you are gradually increasing the difficulty after each session on the bikes and elliptical.

Once you find those easy for you at moderate difficulties, then you will notice running will be less ordealing.

or....if you wanna stick with running/jogging, one peice of advice that a friend told me is that if you are running at a pace where you can't hold a proper conversation...you're going too fast.

You might want to use that as your measuring ground in the start as when your running becomes gradually tolerated.

I found it took me a long time to get into running...... start slow and dont get discouraged. Its amazing how it will start to feel better in a couple weeks... good luck!

for any of this stuff we do, its important to take baby steps and make sure you are enjoying it, otherwise youll be a quitter like every other resolutioner out there.
why not start out with just a spirited walk? get the heart pumping, then mix in some light jogging. you cant expect to do a full HIIT style workout the first time you get off the couch in 4 years

This comment has to be thanked. Baby steps...enjoy it/make it a hobby, not a workout....work ur way up to HIIT.

i definitely agree with the baby steps comment. you aren't going to become a runner in a month. walking is the first step. gradually increase time or distance, but not both at the same time. you can also try walking on an incline or carrying extra weight with you to challenge yourself. keep a journal to track your progression and keep yourself motivated.

if your goal is to lose weight and/or increase cardio ability, i wouldn't attempt to run until you can keep up a strong walking pace (3.5-4.0mph on the treadmill) for at least 30 minutes.

The biggest thing for me was being discouraged when I realized I was not reaching my lofty jogging goals. Like everyone said, use short term goals and slowly build yourself up, you will be suprised what you can do at the end of it.

Start slow man. Few months ago I could only run 3/4 of a lap before stopping. After daily training, the other day I ran 6 laps without stopping.

Start at a slow jogging pace and work your way up. I found what worked for me was trying to add a lap per week to my running
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Sweet...now that i have tolerated my running for abouta good 16+km, i am moving onto training my body for swimming for longer periods.


Lets see if 2011 can foresee a 1/2 Triathalon

Hmmm- great advice. Will definitely remember it. If anyone else has some insights, I'm always welcome to hear them.

start at like 4mph, but dont go down to walking speed, keep a turtle paced jog but dont walk

that's what i know, im a smoker and i can jog 30 fairly easy but yeah it's super boring and can be fatiguing when you start, it helps to go to a gym with tvs

Try to eat healthier so you'll feel lighter and more energetic when going to work out.
Take it slow and pace yourself, you're not trying to beat anyone and take it easy on the breathing.

Relax.

Yup, take it slow in the beginning but don't give up. Try to do cardio everyday, even if it's 20 mins of walking. You can't expect to be some crazy runner in the first month or two or three, it takes time for your body to adapt. When I started out 2 years ago I was 220lbs (I'm 6ft) and was so out of shape that I could barely do 2mph on the threadmill for 10 mins. People would look at me like wtf is this guy trying to prove and I'll admit it was really tough the first 6 months or so but I never gave up and now I run 3 sometimes 4 miles everyday like it's nothing. If I did it, you can do it.

Also, breathing technique is key if you want to run for extended periods of time. I went online and did some research and learned how to control my breathing during my runs and it's helped me big time especially when it comes to cramping and longer runs. And buy some good running shoes, shoes are also key and make a huge difference.

instead of time, you can also try distance, eg.

wk1: 0.5 mile @ your own pace, walk if you have to. Time yourself.
wk2: 1 mile
wk3: 1.5 mile

Try to beat your time for the selected distance for the second, third, etc attempts.

If you see progress, it's easy to keep going.

Turn exercise into a habit. Keep challenging yourself, but don't kill yourself.

It's important to take baby steps so you won't get discouraged but make sure you're not stopping yourself short either. Make sure to push yourself hard everytime you jog/run! I always welcome that short-of-breath/nauseating feeling cause that's the only way i know i really am pushing myself to the limit!!!... and that makes it fun for me lol.

I am curious, what is considered good breathing techiques? All I have been doing has been deep even breaths.

if i remember correctly, 2 half inhalations through the nose and one full exhalation from the mouth. repeat as necessary :)

Suck it up pansy! There's too many quitters and whiners that need to be coddled in the world already. :D

Running has to be the hardest way to get back into cardio, I'm always baffled why many choose this route. Get on a bike and bring a book. Reading requires much more attention than watching TV, which will take your attention away from the pain thus time will seem to pass quickly.

Really?? Usually a movie does it for me......i start on the bike, next thing i notice, i've been on the bike for 45 minutes. I guess i just need to be distracted, not necessarily focussing on something.

hmm i need to start this too. maybe after my exam on thursday.. good advice, i have been meaning to ask this as well.

I usually do 2 inhalations through the mouth and do a full exhalation every minute or so. Exhalation and not taking in too much air when you're breathing in is key.

Breathing techniques ties into mental techniques. You really need to be relaxed when you're running. If I have something on my mind or I start thinking about how much I have to run, my breathing gets heavier and it messes up my entire run. If I stay relaxed and focus on my breathing, I can run with ease.

you exhale once per minute? i don't know how you can take in too much air seeing how VO2max is the major limiting factor for the most runners. are you referring to taking too deep of a breath rather than several shorter breaths?

I'll try to explain it; I basically take in small breaths every step, breath out every 15-20 seconds and take a deep breath and breath out every minute or so if that makes sense. I try to exhale as much air out of my lungs as possible. Like I said before, I had major cramping on my sides about 20 minutes into running until I started to control my breathing. Now the cramps have completely disappeared and another benefit of running is my asthma is basically gone though my chest does get tight when I run outdoors in the spring and summer because of bad allergies.

IMHO, I would stay away from treadmills and continue running outside. The air is fresher and if you run in trails, things are more interesting to look at.

Like others have said, it pays to invest in some proper attire - at the very least, proper shoes so you can mitigate your injuries. Also, have some decent and breatheable clothing on hand - it'll keep you cooler during runs and you'll be able to move better. And make sure you're well hydrated before and after a run.

No matter how you feel, keep up your running. It can be hard on the body (knees, shins, ankles, feet, etc.) but it's probably the most rewarding form of cardio. There's nothing like a runner's high once you reach that level. Once you become comfortable (e.g. running 8-10 minutes non-stop) you should sign-up for a run (5K is a good distance to start) to keep yourself motivated.