Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

[SuperDork]

I'm wondering. I got an elliptical machine to work on and I can't get through more than like 2 minutes on it right now...What I'm wondering is, if I can only do it for that long at a time right now, if I do it off and on throughout the day when I can...a couple minutes here and there adding up to like 30 minutes - is that going to be as good as doing 30 minutes of exercise? I know that sounds stupid.. But I mean, is breaking it up like that for now going to be as beneficial as doing just a 30 minute lump time period?

~Jen~

[Barbde]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

Hey Jen. I just started on the elliptical this week as well. 2 minutes is killer!!! But that's what I am doing. And then going back and doing another. We should be able to build up to this, I am sure!!

[ValidRouge]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

Hey girls, I got my ellip at Christmas and looked at it in the box until about the 2nd week of January. When I first got on it, I was lucky to get 2-3 minutes with no incline and no resistence!

I just kept pushing myself, the next day I did 3 minutes, the next day 5 minutes...pushing myself for just one more minute even though I thought I was gonna die.

Here it is March and I did 40 minutes the other night, moving up and down between resistance 1 and resistence 7 without stopping. Just keep pushing yourself to do one more minute and pretty soon it'll be five more minutes, then 20 more minutes...then higher resistence etc.

I really like my ellip!

[ttdriver]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

I would suggest you slow it down so you can go for a longer period of time and get the benefit of burning more calories at one time.

Betty

[Kent]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

There have been studies that have shown 3- 10 minutes sessions are as good as one thirty minute session. My advice would be start where you can, and work from there. I know when I started walking I could only walk 7 minutes without stopping. We all have to start somewhere, but being satisfied with that amount and not believing you can do more later would be a mistake. Keep at it, it'll get better.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

just think if 3 is good 15 workouts will be even better the study actually showed for weight loss issues only the 3 workouts were actually better cause the after burn of exercise occurred 3 times instead of just once so Barb you and SuperDork will be getting 15 afterburns going woo hoo. As Kent said build it up from where you are and be amazed at what you can do as you get more endurance and muscle memory going on.

Happy low carbing

[SuperDork]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

Thanks guys.
I'm just going to try to do all I can and work torwards more time as I go. I did a couple minutes just a while ago...I guess it's good that I get so tired on it because it means I'm doing SOMETHING. I had an exercise bike a few years ago when I lost some weight and I'd do that thing for like an hour and never get as tired as I will on the Elliptical for a few minutes....(granted though, I was also in better shape then and I had been weight training on a weight machine I have that's still stuck all the way in TN... =P) but I still just feel like I'm doing more on the Elliptical than I was on that bike....*shrugs*
Anyway. Thank you for the answers! I'll just do my best and go until I can't anymore!

~Jen~

[Richt]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

I would say, just do what you can. It will only be a matter of time before you are naturally improving, thus going for longer amounts of time.

Just do what you can. Its better than nothing at all.

Rich

[Tommy]

Re: Exercise Q....This a good or bad idea?

just think if 3 is good 15 workouts will be even better the study actually showed for weight loss issues only the 3 workouts were actually better cause the after burn of exercise occurred 3 times instead of just once so Barb you and SuperDork will be getting 15 afterburns going woo hoo. As Kent said build it up from where you are and be amazed at what you can do as you get more endurance and muscle memory going on.

Happy low carbing

I agree, I have read similar studies.