When you first starting working out, how long did one mile take you?
Hi everyone!
I gained 90 pounds being pregnant, and now I'm on a journey to get rid of it all. We live in a tiny town in southern Oklahoma, we have no gyms or anything like that, so my husband bought me a treadmill. I use to be able to jog 5 miles a day (when I played soccer and volleyball pre-pregnancies), but when I got on the treadmill today, it took me 21 mins to walk a mile! I wanted to cry! I walked at 3.0 mph and burned 161 calories, but it was still only one mile! I am wanting to work up to walking five miles a day because I think it will help a lot in my weight loss journey.
My question is, when you first started walking, how long did it take you to do one mile? Also, I am soooo out of breath an my thighs just burn, did this happen to anyone else? I felt really good after the workout though, surprisingly since I struggled to get one mile.
I don't work, I go to school and take care of my children while my husband works, so I have a lot of free time during the day. I plan on trying to walk on my tread mill at 7am, 8am, 9am, 9pm and 10pm - doing a mile each time, to see if I can meet 5 miles that way, and work on doing my miles quicker and quicker.
Thank you for the help everyone. Any suggestions or stories will be greatly appreciated. Good luck with all your goals! Have a great week everyone!!!
it took me about twenty minutes as well. only on a treadmile because id walk at a 3.0 pace. but ive bumped it up to about 3.5 whenever i do use the treadmile. i try mostly just to use the elliptical because ive got a bad knee and walking or running tends to mess with it even more.
when i would walk like that i would get sweaty and out of breath pretty quickly but it seems to be getting better, less out of breath but just as sweaty.
good luck on your treadmile. maybe you should try the elliptical if you have access to one. takes wider strides and you move at what ever pace you feel more comfortable.
I have been taking about 22:32 - 22:35 to walk a mile on the treadmill, but last week I got it down to 21:35. So you are not doing to badly. Just my opinion, but you might want to ramp up to your goal of 5 miles a day to avoid any injuries such as shin splints.
It took me anywhere from 20 to 23 minutes when I first started, depending on what kind of energy I had that day and the terrain. Now my range is from about 14:30 to 18 minutes (usually more towards the middle of that range at about 15:30-17). I walk a five mile loop at a local park 2-4 times a week. It has some pretty decent hills, practically no flat areas, and it usually takes me 75-85 min. If it takes me longer than 85 min, then I'm REALLY lagging!
That's about where I was/am whenever I was starting over. I'm starting over now and 20 min miles or 3 MPH is a good walk to me.
Somewhere around 4 MPH (15 min mile) I'm struggling between walking fast and jogging slow. I don't like how jostling that feels, and that's about the point where I want to switch to elliptical trainer because then I can do the higher speed but not be pounding on my joints.
21 minutes for a mile is not a bad time-don't be discouraged. Brisk walking is about 15 minutes for a mile and I believe 21 minutes can be considered moderate exercise. Hang in there!
My only request is that you give yourself permission to ramp up slowly. I don't like this plan of trying to walk one mile at a time 5x/day. Your body is not used to exercising, and that's a recipe for injury which will bring your WL plans to a complete and utter halt.
Walk one mile in one sitting for five days. Then add one more mile. Another five days. Then add another one. Take it slow. If you find that on day 4-5 you have lots of energy, increase your speed or incline, but DON'T increase your distance.
Give your body the time it needs to harden up for longer walking...
Thank you everyone for all your help and suggestions!!! It sounds like you are all doing really great!!!
CrystalLynn & Astrophe - I will look into an eliptical machine! I have had a knee replacement (old soccer injury) so it may help! It sounds like both of you are really doing great!!! Keep up the good work!!!
Change - Thank you for your kind words! I will hand in there!! You do the same, it looks like you are doing a fantastic job!!!
Ackau4067 - Wow! 5 miles is really good! I'm proud of you, I hope to get there one day myself!!
Vollyballsis - I think I will slowly add up to the 5 miles, my shins do start to hurt a little already after one mile. Thank you for the help
Gethealthier - That is a really good plan and I think I will try to add slowly each week!! Thank you for the great idea!!!
Thank you again everybody, your kind words and support keep me going!!!! It sounds like you are all doing super!! Keep it up and I look forward to getting to know you all soon and I hope I can help you all like you have helped me today!!! Best wishes and good luck everyone!!
You're doing great! I was doing 20 minute miles when I started too... now when I walk/jog I do it outdoors and it takes me about 45 minutes to do the 5k path so it's about 15 minutes a mile.
It is also taking me about 20 minutes per mile. I have been exercising for a month now and it is getting easier. Just do not kill yourself trying to go faster and get to the 5 mile range. I tried doing that at first and ended up getting blisters because my feet were not use to that kind of walking and had to stop walking for a few days until they healed. Build up a tolerance. Also, if you want to lose more calories I have found that walking at a slower pace but on a small incline burns more calories faster. I have around the same weight goals as you. Good luck!!!!!
When I first started it took about 21 minutes now I'm down to 18-16 minutes a mile.... 5 Miles is great but not starting out so soon... work your way up to 5 miles it took me about 3 weeks to get to 5 miles and last night I walked 6 killed me but felt great... just keep up the good work and it will pay off trust me all I do is walk everyday!
Good for you, OP! IMO, getting started is the hardest part. I have trouble w/ my knees (early arthristis, patellar chondromalacia), and my physical therapist said to put the treadmill at least at 1% incline, better on the knees. 1% is like walking outside. I can actually walk faster at 1-2% incline than at 0-.5%.
When you first starting working out, how long did one mile take you?
blisters!
Quite a few years ago, I think in 2000-2002, I could row for a whole hour! 
