Do you guys ever fall out of shape?

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
This is sort of interesting.

I have pretty much not been working out regularly....close to not at all...for almost TWO YEARS now.

I am getting back to it now. Hubby goes with me every now and then. But while jamming today on the treadmill I got to thinking.

Why don't I fall totally out of shape? Like my friends. They say if they do more than fifteen minutes of this or that they are dying. Either their muscles are burning or their lungs are gasping. Same with my husband. He tires so much quicker.

I just was thinking about this. How little people say they can do at first when the begin an exercise routine. Like the ones that say they can't even walk a mile w/o feeling out of breath? I never get that. Even after two inactive years! I have to really hold myself back and I really don't get that tired. Like today, I did 60 min on the treadmill but had to walk at 4.0 with the incline from 7-12 to even start to sweat or feel fatigued. One thing I will say is that if I do weights (and actually use weights) I will be sore. But still. I know as someone who is getting back to working out after TWO YEARS I probably should not be doing 60 min, but if not I don't feel much. I even jogged some today and never really felt like I was dying.??

I am not trying to brag or anything, just wondering if this has been the experience for any of you? I know not many of you have taken two years off recently, but....

And I don't have an active job, don't really work around the house. Actually, been pretty depressed and just laying around. That is why it stumps me! Of course I am not out there doin' Imax but still...

Any thoughts?:p
 
Janice, you are very fortunate. Me, if I take off just 3 weeks of no carido I get out of breath and it takes me about 2 weeks to get back in to it. Oh how I wish I had your stamina.

Jean
 
I'm in a sort of similar situation. I mean, I haven't taken off 2 years, but I've exercised very little in the last 6 months. Still, I have the attitude of a fit person, if you know what I mean. I still bound up the subway stairs and bypass everyone when I'm walking down the street. If I have to go across town, I just walk. A mile or two means nothing to me. And as for the gym, it only takes me one or two sessions on the treadmill to get back to where I left off. So I know what you mean. Although, I agree, that if I were to go back to weight training there would be considerable DOMS to deal with. That's for sure!

Maybe you're just continuing to live your life as a functionally fit person, even if you're not taking the time to do a "workout". Could that be it?

-Nancy
 
Wow Janice,
You must have great stamina doing 4.0 on such a high incline. I can't even do that I have consistently worked out for years and years. I can walk 4.0 but not at a high incline, I get out of breath.

Rhonda
 
Janice, maybe you and Nancy are more active than others, even without doing regular workouts. Maybe you have a kind of "functionl" fitness.
 
>Wow Janice,
>You must have great stamina doing 4.0 on such a high incline.
>I can't even do that I have consistently worked out for years
>and years. I can walk 4.0 but not at a high incline, I get
>out of breath.
>
>Rhonda


Well, I must admit though, my treadmill at home at 12 incline is not the same as the gym treadmill at 12. It is less steep. More like an 8 at the gym I would say. Although I haven't been there in years either so it is hard to say!
:+

I guess maybe I am lucky because I don't really feel like I have been acting much fitter than my same age counterparts. I am like you though Nancy....I take the stairs without exception. I like the challenge. I was at a hospital recently that had 12 floors and all my friends thought I was crazy because I wanted to take the stairs and see if I could do it. They all whined and whined and we ended up in the elevator that time. LOL. But still...a few stairs here and there, well, you wouldn't think it would make up for a mostly lazy two and a half years. I would sometimes work out twice a day back then!

When I do work, I do run my butt off tho.

Well, hmmm, guess I will just consider myself lucky.

My legs are a bit achey today tho, so maybe I'll put the brakes on a bit. Or you know me, I'll bite off more thatn I can chew and injure myself, lol:7

Thanks for the conversation!:D
 
And you know what? For some reason, for me, it is easier to walk on an incline than flat. It feels more natural. AND...it is easier on my legs, fatigue wise, to go up stairs two at a time (like a step up). I actually get less fatigued that way.....

Anyone feel the same???
 
Janice,
I'm always at an incline. My "base" on the treadmill is 5, which is like my 0. Most of the treadmills at the gym don't have an incline steep enough for me. Some go to 12 and some go to 15, but I have to go to 18 sometimes on the slower speeds in order to stay in my heart rate target zone. I do not think this is because I'm particularly fit; I just think it's because I'm a lightweight (5'3" 115 lbs.). For people who are heavier, it's "easier" to get your heart going at lower inclines. I'm guessing you're a lightweight too.
-Nancy
 
No, Nancy, I am a shortie. But not light, lol. I clock in at 140 right now, at 5"1 (on a good day) :) But I do have a lot of muscle compared to most people so maybe that is what makes it easier?

But we'll go with that theory.}(
 
I think that one you've adapted your life to "healthy choices", you tend to keep making those choices regardless of how much you're working out.

Although my treatment prevented me from working out at "top Cathe speed", I still walked when I felt good and rode my horse whenever possible, so I was always active and up and around doing things.

So now, after all this time of seriously not doing any videos, doing Muscle Endurance today was a challenge, but I got through it without too much heartbreak and tears. A little frustration over things that were easier before, but now are a struggle, but I did better than I thought I would.

I think your day-to-day behavior reflects your fitness probably as much as how many big girl push-ups you can do - the food choices you make, taking the stairs instead of elevators, getting off the bus a couple of blocks early and walking the rest of the way, etc.
 
Stamina, yeah baby! Janice, when I quit smoking and was encouraged to start an exercise program, I put on a pair of dreadful Ked sneaks and went out and ran a 1.3 mile loop around my neighborhood. I was hooked. It was not hard at all. I upped my mileage very quickly and adapted very quickly with no problem at all. Once I got fit, each of the times I laid off for one reason or another, injury, depression, I always got quick results from restarting training. I have excellent endurance. I think I may be an "endurance person". :) I have always had low blood pressure and a slow heart rate. I wonder if you do too. I am an intensity junkie because I can have a hard time feeling well worked out if I don't do intense cardio. For instance, when I do Low Max, I feel cheated. It seems soooo slow. I add jumps where there are none even in some of the workouts considered tougher. They just aren't that hard. I do get out of breath with some of the Imax intervals and with Kickmax but it's when doing the eyeball bleeding sequences. If I do Bootcamp, I add at least 30 minutes of outright cardio sometimes more. I sit and type at the computer or sit and watch a movie every now and again but for the most part I stay on my feet and in motion all day from the time I get up until I go to bed. I think there are people who are just "like that". I think that's why I loved running so much and could run quickly from the start. I walk so fast I drive everyone crazy too. My daughter was making fun of me about that recently. I'm a whirling dervish! :D I am also accused of thinking too much. ;) Didn't we just establish you as Deep Thoughts? :) Maybe that quick mind makes for a quick you. I can go like gangbusters from sun up to sun down, don't tire easily. It's a good thing. My workout schedule is intense. Today is my rest day and it sucks but I have to because I know if I don't I could injure myself again. I hate rest days. Most rest days are yoga days or errand days so I can survive not working out. And I feel so guilty and deprived, it's sad. Enjoy it. We are Endurance People! Or busybodies. I get that a lot too. :) Lovewire, high strung. Whatever it is, I like it!
Bobbi "Chicks rule!"http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/tiere/animal-smiley-032.gif
Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/linie/smiley-linie-008.gif
 
I do get out of breath with some
>of the Imax intervals and with Kickmax but it's when doing the
>eyeball bleeding sequences.

Aren't they *all* meant to make your eyeballs bleed? hee-hee
 
I think it may have a lot to do with your mind set. I've noticed most people think of exercise as something they "should" do, or "need to do" in order to lose weight. They don't view it as something they WANT to do. If you started a hobby or habit of something you really didn't want to do, but felt you had to for whatever reason, you probably wouldn't push yourself as hard as if it were something you were really looking forward to doing. I think it's the same way with people who exercise for the wrong reasons. Even 15 minutes for them will seem like torture because deep down they're not passionate about it or committed to it. Mentally they're dreading it before they even start. That can wear a person down physically as well.

When I need to take time off for various reasons I can usually jump right back in because mentally I'm ready to workout, and I've missed it so I WANT to workout.

Carol
:)
 
And once you've been trained, even laying off for a long time, the body responds very quickly. That "muscle memory" Cathe mentions kicks right in. I have observed that several times. I also never returned to having ultrastick-like limbs any of the times I took a long break. Some muscle remained. My neighbor, who outweighs me by about 60 pounds always calls me when she wants furniture moved. She thinks of herself as too weak to move it. I think of myself as strong even if I'm not much to look at. I do all those things, park at the far end of the parking lot, take the stairs. I carry all my groceries in in as few trips as possible. My daughter's gallant boyfriend saw me loaded up coming in from the garage one day and asked if I wanted help and my daughter dismissed the offer for me, saying, "She always does that". I usually don't bother using a cart to haul groceries from the store if I can avoid it. It's a little extra work to compliment my workouts. It makes me feel strong. :) What I wouldn't give to look really muscular. I love muscle. :)
Bobbi "Chicks rule!"http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/tiere/animal-smiley-032.gif
Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/linie/smiley-linie-008.gif
 
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