Any treadmill WALKERS out there?

Good morning everyone. I am a 55 year old woman. It has been 1.5 years since my VSG. I have been an hour a day avid treadmill walker(in my basement)for over a year but the last few months I have been slacking off on my exercise and food plan. Put some weight back on, just a vicious cycle. I have tried to use the Couch 2 5K app several times, but I think I lack the stamina for running. Anyway, just curious if anyone else is a treadmill walker.

Hello and thanks for the question? Although I use to be a treadmill walker/runner I rarely use it now to get my cardio in. However, I am a personal trainer and train people who ride the treadmill frequently or I incorporate the treadmill into our workouts. You mentioned you have been an avid treadmill walker for over a year which is amazing, great job. In regards to your slacking could it be because its time to switch your workout and do something else. Its actually recommended you change your workout consistently (every month to 3 months) for several reasons.

1. Doing the same ole same ole gets boring and you usually just go thru the motions instead of having the same intensity and excitement you had when you first started.

2. Your body gets use to doing the same movement and doesn't response as quickly as it did in the beginning. Your body adapts to the program and since its no "shocking the body" the results come much slower.

Also, as a trainer for over 12 years I think an hour although applaudable for the effort is to long. Instead of getting it in and getting it over with which can be done very effectively in 45 minutes mentally its hard to maintain laser focused for an hour. There are many different, exciting and great exercise DVD programs which provide amazing weight loss results such as P90X, Chair-A-Cise , Denise Austin or Leslie Sansome. Here is a blog I wrote entitled, "Overcoming Loss of Motivation To Exercise" which will be helpful. Have a great day.

Accept the fact that at first EVERYONE lacks the stamina for running.  There are a few reasons for this.

First to be an efficient or even capable runner your body has to build some physiological structures.  As you run your muscles require more oxygen which means your body needs to increase blood flow to these muscles requiring your body to build these systems.  Same with muscles, you have slow twitch and fast twitch muscles if you are trying to run fast your body may not have the fast twitch muscles to support this and at the same time your body may not have the endurance required for distance running.

The good news is that if you know and understand a few things you can overcome your inability to do it and your body over time will build the systems and endurance you need.

I am a C25K drop out I could not run .1 mile without wanting to die.  almost 5 years later I can out run my wife who is half my size, but it took A LOT of work to get here.

To start out you should run at a conversational pace, Hold a conversation or as my one friend told me "You should be able to sing the Brady Bunch Theme".  if you can't breathe and your heart is going to explode out your chest you are going to fast at this point.  Build endurance and then pace.  

My wife started C210K Last year after my last Half Ironman.  I believe in her ability to do it more than she does most times.  When we do our long runs I love to point out "Hey remember when it took n intervals to get to this point, now you just ran it"  

Set a goal and work towards it start slow it is about the finish not the time.

I full believe you can be a runner.  

Sorry I can't walk on the treadmill and feel like sticking a knife in my skull everytime I get on it so I make sure my time on it is brutual and worth it.

I walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes three times a week.  I hope to replace the treadmill with some outdoor walks and hikes as summer approaches.

I walk on the treadmill, 6 days a week. I usually walk for 45 minutes a day. I am trying to build my endurance though, so I am increasing speed. My knees won't let me do the elliptical yet, hopefully before too much longer I can. I also try to get in walking wherever I can. And I get on the recumbent bike. I am noticing definite improvement in my stamina as well as my knees.