To stop after 13 mins

[strugglingthroughlife]

In the past year I’ve put on about a stone and a half in weight, this week I’ve decided I’ll start exercising and trying to lose, my aim was to do an hour of exercise every morning!

But after 13 minutes I’m sweaty, feeling sick and wow I can’t believe I can’t do the hour! Aibu to stop now and build up, or should I push through

[Crumbs1]

If your reasonably young and have no major health issues, push yourself a bit harder. Exercise should make you sweaty.

[strugglingthroughlife]

@Crumbs1 ok, I’m back on it, thanks!

[Ragwort]

I would try building up steadily, if you push yourself to do the whole hour and then just feel overwhelmed you are more likely to give up.

Try and aim for an extra 2 minutes each morning.

Have you tried the 'Shred' - very tough but an intense 20 minute programme.

[AdalindSchade]

Well, you should do what's manageable in order not to put yourself off doing it altogether. From a position of very poor fitness I would aim for 30 minutes 3 times a week. An hour every day is pretty much unsustainable for someone who is really into exercise let alone a newbie.
The 30 day shred is good if you want to do daily exercise and less than 30 minutes

[MargaretCavendish]

What are you trying to do for an hour? You're not going to be able to run continuously for an hour from scratch, it's just not realistic (and you might hurt yourself trying). Something like an aerobics DVD where you get quick breathers between exercises, etc. is much more achievable.

[strugglingthroughlife]

I’ll have a look at shred, thank you for that recommendation, I’m doing a cardio workout from YouTube at the moment, 40 seconds workout, 15 seconds active rest, so star jumps and laterals I think they’re called, I’ve done another 3 mins this morning,

[NotBurpeesAgain]

Are you doing a FitnessBlender workout? You cannot do star jumps for 40 seconds if you are a beginner! Perhaps have a look at their level 2 workouts.

[SoupDragon]

I found Shred very good too. I did feel truly awful at thestart but the improvement in my stamina was quite quick really.

I need to get back to it.

[RebeccatheOld]

I would stick to 13 minutes for a week, then next week try for 15 minutes. Then 17 the following week etc.

I'd also try to fit in more non/low cardio stuff like yoga or gentle walking. You could do 13 minutes of cardio then 20 minutes of yoga.

Good luck!

[Sirzy]

Make sure the activity is suitable for your level of fitness or you will increase your risk of injury.

Don’t stop as soon as you feel tired/sweaty you need to push on for a few more minutes st least. But at the same time don’t overdo it so an hour would be way too much of your current routine st the moment it seems.

[onalongsabbatical]

You did 13 minutes more than the day before, bloody well done!
Build in a way that gets a balance between stretching yourself on the one hand and not getting stressed and overwhelmed on the other hand. You learn this balance, and how to trust your own bodily feedback, the more you do.
You've begun!

[user1493413286]

I’d start with 20 minutes and build up or find a more manageable workout you can do for longer. The best way with exercise is to go slightly beyond what you think you can do, so when you’re doing star jumps and you don’t think you can do more then do 2-4 more but don’t try and do 10 more.
Well done for starting though, it’s tough when you first start but when you realise that youve gone longer without getting so out of breath or done more it’s a great feeling

[ThePeanutGallery]

You've got to build up slowly, especially if you've never exercised before. 13 minutes is fine for day one. Also, what are you doing? 7 hours of intense exercise a week may be a bit hard on your body (depending on the type).

[Joey7t8]

All of the above is good advice for increasing the exercise duration, and you'll soon build up your cardio fitness. Best way to lose weight is simple though: eat less.

[ArcheryAnnie]

If you go from nothing to an hour every day of exercise, then it will make you feel awful, and you are more likely to give up altogether.

Start small, and build up! A week of 10 mins every morning, then a week of 15 mins every morning, and so on. The build up will be much easier, much kinder on your body, much more realistic in terms of building up your abilities, and you are less likely to just ditch the whole enterprise!

[FluffyNinja]

Exercise will help improve your fitness levels but on its own is unlikely to shift the excess pounds, so look at your diet and consider decreasing your calorie intake as well.
From your post, you've put on roughly 2lbs every month. That's unlikely to be due to lack of excercise alone.
Weigh and log the calorific value of absolutely everything you consume each day for a week and you might be surprised by how much you're eating.
Nothing drastic but depending on your height/current weight drop to around 1400 -1600 cals a day.
There are lots of handy Apps to help work out food values.

[PollyPerky]

You need to do a mix of aerobic- which could be as simple as banging on some music and dancing fast around your lounge or walking fast for 30-45 mins - plus some resistance exercises like lunges, squats, light weights, the plank, etc.

I think doing what you are is a recipe for failure tbh because you won't keep it up unless you are very very determined. You need to eat less to lose weight too- exercise just doesn't burn off enough cals.

[Nettletheelf]

What were you attempting to do for an hour?

If it's pretty intensive stuff (shred-adjacent) then you're going to get knackered quickly. I know that this sort of workout is often suggested as an efficient use of time etc., but it's hard to do for a long time.

Could you try for a half hour jog/walk combination (walk for a bit when your lungs feel as if they are going to explode) on a couple of mornings? It's nice to do some of your exercise outdoors. Then, as others have said, build up the other stuff you're doing slowly.

[PollyPerky]

You could also try to fit more activity into your daily life. So instead of exercising to something at home, why not walk more, get out for a brisk walk for 30 mins, park well away from the shops, walk where you'd normally drive (if possible) , use stairs not lifts or escalators, etc. All these things add up. My exercise regime is a walk for 50-60 mins (outside, up and down steep hills) 4-5 times a week plus some floor based exercises with weights at home 2-3 x a week. But I am also on a constant low carb 'diet' which I need to be in my 60s because the weight just piles on otherwise.

[SelmaAndJubjub]

Couch to 5k is excellent for building up fitness. And I say that as someone who hates running

[tocas]

If you're sweating it's working. If it were easy then nobody would struggle!

[Sandsunsea]

You could do 10 minutes in the morning, 10 in the afternoon and 10 in the evening. Slowly build it up to longer each session. Aim small so you have success, if you are succeeding you are more likely to continue.

[DerelictWreck]

Sounds like you're doing a hit workout (30 seconds on/off etc) which is most productive in raising your heart rate (and therefore fat burning levels) in 20-30 min stints, so no need to try for an hour!

[amusedbush]

If I'm doing HIIT stuff then I'll do a maximum of 30 minutes. I only exercise for longer if I'm swimming or cycling. Don't push yourself too hard, but you'll be surprised by how quickly your fitness levels increase.

[PurpleMinionMummy]

An hour is way too much if you're doing something intense. A 20-30 minute stint is fine and much more achievable.

Don't worry about the 13 mins. Tomorrow you will find you can do a bit more and so on. Build up gradually.