Tired going up a few flights of stairs?

[gberardi]

June 1st kicked off my Get-Back-Into-Shape month. I started the month at 191.5 lbs. Ideally I want to be back down to 165lbs, but I'm fine with taking as long as it should take to get there. I initially thought that I could get to 185, but when I was close to hitting that by the end of my 2nd week, I decided that 175lbs is probably doable, too. I also want to build up my endurance and running ability, specifically because I want to play soccer again. I used to be able to run a full game in high school and still want to play more, but nowadays if I get into a game, I'm winded before a few minutes are up.

So, my goals: lose weight and get comfortable running again.

I cut myself off from alcohol, I tried to make sure I ate mostly vegetarian and a lot less processed food, and I started using the treadmill at the day job's gym each day for an hour. I've also been doing the HundredPushups.com routine already, so I continued to do that along with the treadmill.

My usage of the treadmill: I set the machine to do a Weight Loss scheme,
picking Aerobic 2 (whatever that means). Basically, it incrementally changes the incline from 0 to 4 then incrementally back down to 0 throughout the routine a few times.

I initially walked at 3mph, then running at 5mph for 5 minutes straight, then walking at 3mph again, but I've pushed it a bit more each time.

Most recently: 10 minutes at 3mph, then 5 minutes at 5.5mph, then 5 minutes at 4mph, then 5 minutes at 6mph, then 5 minutes at 4mph, then 5 minutes at 6.5mph, then 5 minutes at 4mph, then 5 minutes at 5.5mph, then walked at 4mph the rest of the time. There is an extra 5 minutes of cooldown, and if I enter it at 4mph, it lowers me down to 3.2mph for that period of time.

The machine says I burn over 600 calories at the end of a session. I don't know if that sounds right or not, but I'm not counting calories so I'm not that concerned. I use it more for a general sense that I'm doing well with sweating and breathing hard.

Since June 1st, I've lost 5 lbs. A friend who is a personal trainer told me that I should expect to see 1 to 2 lbs of weight loss per week, so that's about right. He warned me not to go every day to avoid overtraining, so I've cut back to only using the treadmill Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The Reason I'm Posting Here
Today I was in a position to need to go up two floors on the stairs at a school, and I was surprised that doing so made me breathe hard. It made me realize that in my day-to-day existence, I don't generally need to use the stairs except to go to my 2nd floor apartment, which isn't much at all.

But I'm still surprised that after a few weeks of using the treadmill regularly that I found myself slightly winded from using the stairs today. Now, maybe I might have been completely winded if I had done so a few weeks ago, but one of the things I want to be able to do is get back in shape enough to feel comfortable playing a full game of soccer, like I used to back in high school (I'm almost 28 now).

I'm losing weight (my pants fit so much better now!), so that's good, but do I need to do something else to build up my endurance? Is my current exercise routine just too lax for what I want to do?

[ChefSalad]

I think your exercise routine is adequate. But you'll always get your breathing going up a bit when you climb multiple flights of stairs. Just think about what you're doing for a second. Essentially, you're climbing like 30 foot of ladder in a minute. That's a lot of leg lifting.

Now if you're really getting COMPLETELY winded, as in huffing and puffing out-of-breath with a sweatsoaked shirt, then you need some more fitness. But I doubt that's the case. Hell, even I don't have that problem and I weigh 290 lbs. Even if it was the case, you'll need to give the treadmill a few more weeks before your lungs and heart really start to get the good benefits.

[gberardi]

I suppose you're right. I just thought that after more than two weeks of going over an hour, periodically going 5-10 minutes at a time to run, that going up some stairs wouldn't register as much as it did.

[sk8joyful]

Originally Posted by gberardi

I want to play soccer again.

The Reason I'm Posting Here
Nowadays if I get into a game, I'm winded before a few minutes are up.
Today I was in a position, to need to go up 2 floors on the stairs at a school,
and I was surprised that doing so made me breathe hard. -

I cut myself off from alcohol, and my usage of the treadmill:
I use it more for a general sense that I'm doing well with sweating and breathing hard.

Now, I want to be able to feel comfortable playing a full game of soccer,
like I used to back in high school (I'm almost 28 now).

I'm losing weight (my pants fit so much better now!), so that's good,
but do I need to do something else to build up my endurance?

You're 28 , and running up 2 flights of stairs, you're "winded, breathing hard"?

I'm nearing (chronologically 60), but that's only some silly statis-tic.
Anyway,
2 weeks ago, just for fun I chased 1 of my (13 yr. young) students, up 2 flights of long Jr.hi school stairs,
and we arrived at the top at the same time. There we kept right on running... of course.
And consider: I'm a kid at @112 lbs, with an unlimited iceskating passion...

Have you considered paying a 'Hypnotherapist' to help you succeed...

[buttercup]

just saying good for you. keep up the good work. if you're totally winded in another week or so, maybe you want to check w/ your doc just to be sure everything's a-ok on the inside?

just my 2 cents-- tho, i have been a power walker for years. if i so much as miss a few days, i get winded again. it's weird. doc says i'm ok tho so whatever..

[gberardi]

Originally Posted by sk8joyful

You're 28 , and running up 2 flights of stairs, you're "winded, breathing hard"?

B-)

I should have clarified. It wasn't like I was breathing so hard that I couldn't speak, but I did find that I was breathing harder than I expected.

Thank you, buttercup, for the encouragement.

An update: last Sunday I played a game of basketball (21), and then followed it up with a game of softball.

In the past, I know that if I played basketball for not even a minute I would be breathing hard just trying to keep up with whoever I was defending. This time, I realized that even though I was sweating, I wasn't wiped out. During softball I had to sprint a few times to run after fly balls, and I felt fantastic.

Unfortunately, the next day I was a little sore, and I used the treadmill for an hour. When I got home, my body let me know that it was feeling really sore, and it is especially noticeable in my left calf muscle. I've been stretching it and walking around periodically (I sit at a desk all day for my day job) to make sure it doesn't get too stiff. I feel fine once I get moving, but getting up makes me feel it.

I'm not sure if I should use the treadmill today or if I should rest. It's hard to find info online about what the best option here is, although I did find a good stretch to do to help with my calf.

[wayne60618]

You conditioning sounds like it's improving. However, don't expect that walking on a treadmill will improve it for you to be competitive at basketball. You are talking about anaerobic conditioning vs. what I would describe as low intensity aerobic conditioning.

Regardless of whether or not you want to play basketball or simply want to improve your conditioning, I would suggest you get a heart rate monitor. That way you can precisely tell if you are working hard enough. You should work up to a plan of easy and hard days. Hard days spend your efforts at about 80% of your max heart rate. Easy days will probably look more like your current workout. Try to keep your hear rate at 60-65% of max.

Alternate easy, hard workouts and take a day off after your hard. That should get you pointed in the right direction.

[wayne60618]

If you strained your calf, rest it and ice it. While stretching the calf may help, you should also stretch and strengthen the rest of your body. If you sit a work, especially your back and hips. Injuries seldom have anything to do with the just the effected muscle. Posture, muscle imbalances, and tightness from the entire structure is more likely.

[sk8joyful]

Originally Posted by gberardi

An update: last Sunday I played a game of basketball (21), and then followed it up with a game of softball.

In the past, I know that if I played basketball for not even a minute I would be breathing hard just trying to keep up with whoever I was defending. This time, I realized that even though I was sweating, I wasn't wiped out. During softball I had to sprint a few times to run after fly balls, and I felt fantastic.

Sounds like you're doing just fine then. Keep up! the good fun you're having

[Kasha]

Coincidence I found this thread. Just the other day I ran up six flights of stairs at the metro, and felt fatigue only on part of the last flight. I reflected later on how tired I used to get doing this.

I attribute my strength to my leg exercise routine, specifically regular squats, lunges and jump-squats. You really should research the net on finding good pictures for these exercises as improper form could really hurt your knees. Start slow, and work your way to 3 sets of 15.

[CoolBee]

Do be careful that you're not pushing yourself with something wrong with you (I did that and got pneumonia - one of the side effects of that for months was my pulse rocketing up to 150 just walking up a single flight of stairs and ended up with a skipping heart beat for several years).

I have read that if you take your resting pulse first thing every morning (still in bed) and if it is around 10 more than normal, curb your exercise that day.

I've found a reference to it on the net - Exercise Tips - Exercise Ideas - Exercise Plans - Fitness Tips scroll down to 'overtraining'.

So, if you suddenly find yourself in a 'dip' after previously being ok with a level of exercise, assess whether you have overtrained, caught a bug and are pushing yourself through it or whatever.

Don't only be excellent to each other, be excellent to yourself!