I know, I know…you’ve tried running, cycling, swimming. Nothing sticks. You sweat. Your heart rate sky rockets. You feel like your lungs will explode. Am I right? If you are new to exercise, it is a sure bet that your initial efforts, no matter what modality you choose, will be challenging. If this is true for you, I have some very good news: stick with it (running, cycling, swimming, etc.)  long enough for your body to adapt and undergo some crucial changes, and you’ll be rewarded with easier workouts sans the “gasping for air” feeling.

The breath behind your workout

Let’s pretend for a moment that you are new to exercise and have decided to start a regular regimen of jogging in order to improve your overall health and lose some weight. Assuming you are moderately overweight (not obese), the mere fact that you have been sedentary will make your initial efforts quite taxing. As you put your body through the paces of those first workouts (let’s say, weeks 1 through 4), your body won’t necessarily respond the way you envisioned: a swift, effortless 1-mile jog that leaves beads of sweat on your brow and  a broad smile on your face.  Likely, your first jog will feel awkward, jarring, and very taxing. You’ll probably breath hard. Maybe very hard. This is normal. Though a natural and relatively easy thing for most kids to do, adults who jog no further than their front door to the mailbox (even if it is every day) will not have retained the motor recruitment necessary to make those first jogging workouts anything like playing backyard tag at age ten. Not even remotely close, so don’t kid yourself, even if you were once the fasted kid on the block, but back to the point – your body will need to relearn the proper motor pattern for jogging, your heart will need to become stronger in order to pump more blood (with less effort) to the working muscles, and your body will need time to increase the number and density of capillaries and mitochondria necessary to carry the metabolic byproducts of exercise away from working muscles in exchange for fresh oxygen. As you can imagine, this does take some time. The problem is, many people give up before their bodies have a chance to complete these important changes. That gasping feeling (or, “choking up a lung,” as one client so affectionately calls it) makes the workout too uncomfortable, and in some cases, elicits uneccasary fear or panic. Give it a few weeks to a month, and see if you don’t notice less breathlessness, more swift movements, and less delayed onset muscle soreness. At six weeks, you will probably be able to run a bit further. At eight weeks, a bit faster. At twelve weeks, you might toy with the idea of training for a 5K. Seem impossible? It’s not. Just keep at it and let your body adapt.

Note: it is important to know your boundaries, when you are working too hard, and not hard enough. For more on this subject, read: Exercise: How hard is hard enough?“

Tips to keep you going:

1. Know your target heart rate. The simplest formula is to subtract your age from 220, then multiply by 65% to get the low end of your target heart rate, and 85% to get the high end. For more on this, check out: Target Heart Rate Training: A Formula for Success!

2. Choose an activity that you actually enjoy. All of the running in the world won’t create lasting changes if you dread every step. Instead, try a variety of activities until you find something you will look forward to doing. This will increase the odds you’ll stick with it long enough to see real changes take place.

* Note: Blue Sky Gym and the author disclaim any liability for any injury, physical or emotional, suffered during or as a result of exercise or activities recommended. As always, you should use common sense and consult your health professional before beginning any exercise routine or program.