I've been trying to add a little exercise to my routine this spring - some biking, rollerblading, and a little running mostly - but I'm finding that it doesn't take very long for me to be completely out of breath and miserable. The last thing I want to do is give up, since I haven't been too active this winter and don't want to completely vegetate this summer. Will I build some endurance by just doing more of what I've been doing, or am I bound to be gasping for air whenever I try to have some fun outdoors?

Don't give up. Slow down!! It sounds as though you can easily remedy this problem by making a few changes in your approach to exercise. An often misunderstood but crucial factor to any cardiovascular fitness program is the level of "training intensity." Each individual has an optimal level at which they can exercise that allows for the best use of oxygen and energy. When you first begin to exercise, this intensity level will be fairly low; working at a higher level will leave you worn out and gasping for air.

You have chosen excellent forms of exercise for improving your cardiovascular fitness, as well as for increasing your coordination, and strengthening many of the muscles in your body, especially in your legs. In order to understand and correct the 'out of breath' problem you have been experiencing, it will help you to know a bit about aerobic exercise (exercise that needs oxygen to produce energy), and the concept of training intensity. Cardiorespiratory endurance exercise, or aerobic exercise, involves many of the large muscles in your body including your heart. Your ability to partake in aerobic activities depends a lot on your cardiovascular system's ability to supply the tissues in your body with adequate oxygen. The heart plays a big role in this respect, as it pumps blood to your lungs and through your body.

Any muscle needs to be overloaded to a certain point in order for it to develop, and the heart is no exception. Unfortunately, when it comes to your heart, you don't have the luxury of using measurable weights as you do when you want to develop your biceps, for example. If you stress your heart too much, you will experience exhaustion; if you do not stress it enough, your exercise will be too easy. In either case, you will not be exercising at an optimal level, meaning you will not be developing your cardiorespiratory endurance very much, if at all.

You can figure out an approximate "training intensity," or cardiovascular training zone, at which to exercise in order to build endurance and derive the most health benefits from your efforts. To determine your training intensity level : (1) estimate your maximal heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. (2) To set target heart rate limits, multiply MHR by 65%. This establishes your lower limit. (3) Now, multiply your MHR by 85%. This establishes your upper limit.

People who never exercised before may experience some difficulty at first -- but DON'T GIVE UP!!! If working at the 65% level is too strenuous for you to sustain for 20 minutes, begin by working at the 50% level. After a few weeks, when you feel that your endurance and strength have increased, you can increase your training intensity. The goal is to exercise between 65 - 85% of your maximum heart rate. Be aware that as your heart strengthens, it takes less of an effort for it to pump blood to your lungs and tissue throughout your body. Believe it or not, exercise will become easier! You now will be able to increase either the duration or intensity of your workout.

Knowing your training intensity, in terms of heart rate, you now have a gauge that helps you monitor how hard you are exercising. About twenty minutes into your workout, stop and take your pulse for 15 seconds (after 15 seconds your heart rate begins to drop), and multiply the number of beats by four. If you are in your target zone, keep going at the pace you were at. If you are above or below, then you know to either increase or decrease the intensity level of your exercising. This way you will be able to exercise longer before feeling tired, and you will get a much better workout.

Alice knows that it is a royal pain in the you know what to keep track of all of this. After a while it will either become second nature to you, or you will begin to know your body and be able to guestimate the correct intensity level for you. It also helps to stretch and slowly warm up before exercising, and not to overdo in terms of duration and frequency of workouts. Start out with 20 to 30 minute sessions, working slowly up to an hour. Don't try to get a really good workout every day of the week --- this leads to burn out. Try to exercise about 3 to 5 times a week, and vary the intensity or type of activity. Alice doesn't know if you smoke. However, if you do, cutting down or stopping will help significantly to increase lung capacity.

Set reasonable goals for yourself, e.g. to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes. Take it slowly, remembering that fitness can be maintained for the rest of your life. If you are not as "in-shape" as you want to be this summer, make it your goal to reach that level next summer, and stay active all year long.

If Alice's suggestions do not help you in your exercise routine, then exercise-induced asthma may be a possibility, which usually is characterized by various symptoms in addition to feeling winded. For more information, read Exercise-induced asthma in Alice's Fitness & Nutrition archives.

Now turn off your computer, get jogging (or rollerblading, or biking, or...), and have fun!!

Alice

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