I started exercising about 2 weeks ago and I'm reading all of your posts about how you guys do the elliptical for 20, 30 or even 40 minutes! I FORCE myself to do 10 minutes and by the 8th minute I'm gasping for air and feel like I'm about to pass out. What's wrong with me??

Nothing's wrong! It just means it's working! If you have resistance on, try lowering it. Also, there are different types of ellipticals. I find some easier than others. Just keep at it! It will get easier, I promise. I find the biggest problem for me is that my feet fall asleep...

maybe you're using too high of an intensity. Turn down the resistance, decrease the incline, and don't feel like you have to go really fast. I think the best thing to do is to use the heart rate monitor and aim for something maintainable but still difficult- maybe 140 to 150 or whatever your doctor says. I go by heart rate, usually 150-160, and it's maintainable. And I'm in terrible shape.

I know what you mean.
I can barely last fifteen minutes.
But I see guys and girls on it for over an hour!
Kudos to them, but I don't think I'll ever push myself that hard.

I'm up to 28 minutes now, but I still have to take a couple of brief rest periods. When I started out a month ago, I did 11 minutes and thought I was going to die. I find that if I haven't eaten enough, my legs feel extremely fatigued and I still can't do it sometimes.

Sometimes I think people try to go too fast when they first start out; I know I did. Slowing down a little helps, as does playing around with the resistance and the incline. I actually do better with a little more resistance, because that keeps me from peddling crazy-fast like I'm inclined to do when the resistance is on the lowest level.

I love my elliptical, but I have a pet name for it (The B****h). Sometimes I wish I had bought a treadmill, but I am seeing a difference in how my pants fit and how I feel, so I'm happy I have this!

Note: My mother is in excellent shape. She's 70 years old and still lifts weights and does pilates 3 times a week; however, she just cannot do the elliptical. She can walk a brisk 2 miles without breaking a sweat, but the elliptical just wipes her out. So it really affects some people that way!

If you are going to the gym, try the Crosstrainer... I started out on that and worked up to the Elliptical. Add incline and resistance as you go... After a few weeks, you will find the Eilliptical a welcome challenge.

Don't get discouraged! You're doing fine I think most people starting an exercise program tend to expect too much too fast when it comes to building up endurance - then they get discouraged and quit because they can't do what they see others doing. Those people you see on the elliptical for over an hour have probably been doing it for at least half a year, possibly many years.

I started a little over a year ago, and I can go for an hour, but I think it was a good six months of doing it five times a week before I could manage it. It took a month before I could finish my first half hour, and that was done with half of it at a slooooow speed.

Keep pushing yourself, but don't overdo it - you want to be able to climb back on there the next day (or the day after) and do it again. Do what you can easily do, and add 1 extra minute as your goal (don't aim for 5 extra minutes - that's only going to discourage you). When that's easy, add another extra minute. Keep repeating the extra minute, and you'll be able to do a half an hour sooner than you'd think.

As others have mentioned, slow down, lower the resistance or incline, and go by what your heart rate says. I know how much you must want to get fit NOW, while you still have the motivation to get over the hump, but it is better to slow down and let your body pick the pace that it can handle right now. Think about how far you have come in two weeks - you can *do* 10 minutes, even if it is hard. In another two weeks, you will be able to do more - even if you go slow with your adding on minutes, you'll be able to do that 10 minutes easy-peasy.

BP