Hey guys!

So I started running maybe 3 weeks ago? Not sure if I can call it running but it's basically 30mins of me running, then walking, running, walking, etc etc. But lately my arms have begun to feel SO heavy!! I'm not sure what it is because they didn't feel this heavy before, but I feel like it has been making me really lazy and wanting to quit faster. Does this happen to anyone else??

Also this 30 mins of running/walking combo I do it everyday + 30 mins on the elliptical. I'm exhausted when I'm on the treadmill, but feel like I got a really good workout, is this ok to do everyday?? Before I would take a rest day but the workout the next day was so much harder I just stopped taking breaks.

I run on a treadmill (never outdoors), so occasionally I will put my hands on the bar to get my heart rate and is there a specific zone I'm supposed to be working out in to lose weight?? and is it better for me jog for 10 mins opposed to sprinting/walking for 10 mins??

Sorry if my questions seem all over the place, I'm writing this while I'm on a quick break, but I would love to hear your opinions and/or advice!

Thank you!

I'm no exercise expert at all, so don't take my word for any of this:

So for one thing, are you saying that you do 30 mins on the tread and then 30 mins on the elliptical? If so I think that's doing a bit to much. I think doing 30 mins -45 mins max is good enough cardio for one day. so if you want to work out both i say split up the time. I usually do 20 on the treadmill and 15 on the elliptical, but then again i'm new to the exercise scene so if that's too easy maybe you can do 25/20 you know?

And I understand the whole no outdoors thing, I use the treadmill as well. And doing intervals isn't bad at all. Its actually good for you if you're starting off with running. I learned that recently (I'm trying to start running )

Oh and with the holding on to the bars of a treadmill, that's not good. If you do it for literally a second to just take your heart rate than that's perfectly fine. But you won't be working anything out because when you actually walk your not holding on to anything, so in a way you're not making any progress. When you walk to kitchen and back, you're burning more calories than you are when you're walking on the tread for 5 mins while holding on the bars. And that may be why your arms hurt.

Oh I actually never hold on to the bar, it's just to check my heart rate. I just remember a guy at the gym telling me that working out was pointless unless I was in my 'target heart rate zone' I to this day don't know if it's true or not which is why I was asking if I should be looking for a certain number when exercising.

But man my arms lately ! I feel like I'm running with weights or something its more effort to keep my arms up to the side than to actually run lol.

Oh kk that's a good idea! Didn't think of splitting up my workouts! I just like the treadmill bc it feels like an 'intro' to thr running that comes up. I'm never exhausted on the elliptical like I am on treadmill. I just feel more accomplished doing both lol

Thank you for your advice! Btw do you know if HIIT is better for weighloss than sustained running?like jogging for 15 mins straight opposed to the HIIT for 15 mins?? I'm trying to see which would be more beneficial towards weightloss so I can work at getting better at it, if that makes sense!

The numbers on the machine i don't really pay attention too. Or should I say I don't focus to much on them, except time, and distance. Calories and heart rate in my experience aren't very reliable.

My heart rate monitor on my treadmill reads very differently than the one at the gym so I don't focus on those. My thing is if you feel like you're breaking a sweat, but not on the verge of passing out, you should be good. You don't want to do anything to easy, but at the same time nothing too hard.

And as for HIIT, i honestly have no clue. I've heard good things and bad things. I've never tried it in fear I'm going to die in the process, lol. But for you i would say try it out. See what it's like, if you're able to do it, if you like doing it, and if your getting the results you want out of it. And if you end up not liking it/ not able to do it now, try it again in the future to see if your opinion has changed.

I use to hate walking/jogging. Now that I dropped a couple of pounds I don't mind it as much.