Day 2 and Astonished

[Sigrid Mortensen]

Okay, this blows my mind. I started yesterday -- picked up the used treadmill found on craigslist two days ago, set it up (with hubby's help) yesterday, jerry-rigged a temporary desk, and started walking slowly yesterday and today (~1.2 mph).

What blows my mind is that, prior to doing this, I power walked (~4 mph) almost every day, up and down fairly steep hills, for 2 miles each time. And after doing this slow walking on the treadmill for even one day, I'm sore! And tired!

I must be using slightly different muscles on the treadmill as opposed to walking outside. Weird. I look forward to getting used to this with time.

[bdrhoa]

>And after doing this slow walking on the treadmill for even one day, I'm sore! And tired!
>I must be using slightly different muscles on the treadmill as opposed to walking outside.

Interesting.

Welcome aboard!

[shonofear]

haha, yep, it's tiring work to begin with, but you'll get used to it in no time.

Keep on treading...

[Sigrid Mortensen]

You could be right. Day three was much better. Walked for four and a quarter hours, and felt pretty good. I do feel like I'm getting stronger.

It still amazes me that it's so much work, though! I've done 4-mile power walks in one hour that haven't tired me out as much as about the same distance in four hours.

I figure it's like the difference between doing weight lifting slowly and doing it fast. It's a different exercise.

After a day of rest, I'm back at it today. I hope to eventually get up to a 6-7 hour day without feeling pooped. :-)

[Bill Glover]

Wow, from what I've read you're actually starting out at a pretty fast clip. I've heard 0.5 as a starting speed. I wonder where others have started? Can we do polls here? That would make a great one.


Good luck and keep walking!

Bill

[Sigrid Mortensen]

LOL. I didn't know that (0.5 mph to start). I went by Dr. Levine's interview on CBS Good Morning, and figured 1.0 was about right. Well, leave it to me to overdo it right out of the gate! (My family wouldn't be surprised to know I'd done that.)

[Andrea]

I started out at 1.7mph with a goal of doing 4 miles a day. I've hit that each day now. But I'm very active. I was "tired" but not overly tired.

[Melody Buller]

I started at 1.0, anything slower and I found I was distracted from my work by forcing myself to go slower...

[Cindy M]

I just started by using my home treadmill (in the garage) in the evenings for 2+ hours - Started out at 1.5 or so then 2 was comfortable & tonight I have been doing 2.2 mph comfortably for almost 5 miles! :) Feels sooo good to do.

I can't wait until I can try to do it at work all day... Hoping the cheap used treadmill won't be too much noise for my co-workers - and it will end up being white noise for them & I will be able to do it all day there (as opposed to just when I am solo in the office - 50% of the time)

[Carole Fortuna]

I started at point-seven MPH and want to stay there because it's nice to be able to forget about the walking while I work. I'm amazed that people go any faster... Dr. Levin from the Mayo Clinic had said point-seven in one of the videos, so I followed that (it is also the slowest speed on my treadmill).

[Carole Fortuna]

I was surprised by soreness, too. You may have already heard this since your post was a while ago, but Dr. Levine recommends point-7 MPH to start -- that's the slowest setting on my treadmill. But I agree with you that treadmill walking is not like outdoor walking -- it seems to involve many completely different muscles! I've been happily at this for four days and the soreness is abating. I feel wonderful.