Anaerobic?

[Duchess47]

I have a high resting heart rate and it goes up high and fast with little exertion.  My stress test revealed that although this happens, and I am out of shape, my heart itself is fine.  So, in an effort to increase my fitness level, I have been trying to increase stamina.  Recently when walking up a fairly steep, but short hill, I had to stop and rest 3 times and was very out of breath.  Heart rate was very high.  Am I anaerobic at this point? Is this something that can cause a person to pass out?  I will say, that after my heart rate went back to normal I felt great.

[wutthechris]

One of the best options would be to rotate days of interval training with days of endurance training.  You could try jogging a mile at your own pace on Monday (work on increasing distance every week) and then do 40-100m sprints (going as fast as you can) with short breaks between on Tuesday.

The interval training (sprints) will help to increase your VO2max and lung capacity, making it easier and easier on your endurance training also.

[Duchess47]

Thank you so much for the information.  You are absolutely right now that I think about it.  If I can't even walk for a certain distance I shouldn't be pushing myself for distance and incline and duration all at the same time.  No wonder I was out of breath.  I will be more patient with myself and do it the right way.

[bobthetrainer]

"To be in an aerobic state you only need to breath slightly more rapidly than normal. If you begin to pant or feel like you need to stop and catch your breath, you are in an anaerobic state."

This quote is completely false.  My recommendation:  Only increase your duration, grade (incline), or speed one at a time.  For example, keep your incline and speed consistent but gradually work up your duration to "X" minutes.  Once you have achieved your goal, you can begin to do terrain that includes some small inclines.  Once you have mastered these without stopping for breaks, then you can increase the speed in which you are walking.

b

[Duchess47]

Thanks so much for the info.

[star queen]

The easiest test for being in an aerobic state is your breathing pattern.  To be in an aerobic state you only need to breath slightly more rapidly than normal.  If you begin to pant or feel like you need to stop and catch your breath, you are in an anaerobic state. To build up your cardio from scratch, begin with deep breathing exercises.  Breathe from the belly and not the chest.  To start exercise after a long time, begin with slow walks and slowly build up speed over several days or weeks until you are walking at a rapid aerobic rate for several blocks.  When you begin to breathe too fast like after the incline or stairs, don't stop, but walk very slowly. Avoid bending forward or leaning downward.  Stand up straight and breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Do belly breathing. This will slow down your breathing and bring down your heartrate.  It will help to prevent dizziness,lightheadedness or the burning sensation some people get in the chest. When you can power walk two miles, then talk to the doc about increasing the exercise into jogging, biking, or stairstepping. good luck