Treadmill

[shils]

Hi! I have recently started going to the gym. I am basically wanting to work on my butt and abs. I am 110pounds but have started putting on weight where we all women have the tendency to.
My problem is that I can't run on the treadmill for more than 7-8 min. I get so tired and it gets difficult for me to continue.Also i am doing stepper and cycling but again the max I do each is for 10 mins.
What i need to know is how long should I be running daily and how much stepper and cycling I need to be doing? I am scared I'll put more weight on my butt as it runs in my family. My mom has it and her mom had it.
I'll appreciate your help. Thanks, Shils

[Lara]

Hi! I have recently started going to the gym. I am basically wanting to work on my butt and abs. I am 110pounds but have started putting on weight where we all women have the tendency to.
My problem is that I can't run on the treadmill for more than 7-8 min. I get so tired and it gets difficult for me to continue.Also i am doing stepper and cycling but again the max I do each is for 10 mins.
What i need to know is how long should I be running daily and how much stepper and cycling I need to be doing? I am scared I'll put more weight on my butt as it runs in my family. My mom has it and her mom had it.
I'll appreciate your help. Thanks, Shils

Hey Shils--You said that you just started running on the treadmill? If that's true, then God bless ya for even being to stay going for 7-8 minutes! Any strenuous exercise takes time for your cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) to build up to. Don't start going all out at first. Start slow and go at your own pace and try for to stay on longer periods of time, then add speed. You will eventually find that you can go faster for longer time periods before you know it. This hold true for most everyone. When I started working at a fitness club about 7 years ago, personal trainers were required to take part in some of the fitness classes so that they were familiar with all the classes given at the club. I signed up for the spin class. I could do the elliptical machine and stair master with my eyes closed at that point and thought the spin class would be a piece of cake. WRONG! I could barely get through the class and even then, I had to go much slower than most of the people in there. My body just wasn't to the exertion that the spin class was giving me. It took a few weeks before I was able to keep up with everyone else.

So, cut yourself some slack and work up to going longer periods at a faster pace. As for how long you should go, your body burns its own glycogen (stored energy) after about 20 minutes. There after, your body will start utilizing its fat stores for energy. You might want to plan 30-45 minutes a session for 3-5 times per week. I hope this helps.

Lara :)

[shils]

Thanks Lara. Thats encouraging.