Improving the function of the heart & lungs is to increase the endurance, stamina, strength & overall capacity of them.  The benefits are never ending & can be experienced by everyone at all levels.

Being able to play with your children for longer or to challenge yourself at an event are both achievements that do not come easy or without work.

Why do I always feel out of breath when I walk up a flight of stairs?

This does not mean we are unfit, everyone feels it.

The average person only uses a certain percentage of their lungs throughout the day, so when we get up from our desks after sitting for 2 to 3 hours with a slow & regular heart rate the sudden short excursion walking up stairs will make the heart & lungs work slightly harder.  Even using an extra 1% of our lungs after sitting for so long makes our body feel out of breath.

For example:

• Sat down for 1 to 2 hours - heart rate 70 beats per minute (bpm) - using approx 10% of lung function.
• Sudden movement (Walking up stairs) for 5 seconds - heart rate will increase to 100 bpm - using approx 12% of lung function.
• Continuous exercise (Walking/Steady cycling) for 30 minutes - heart rate will start high (140bpm) then slow down & become constant (120bpm) - using approx 25 to 30% of lung function.

So if we were to continue to walk up the stairs our heart rate would start to drop & our breathing would become constant.

IMPORTANT: If you have a job which requires a lot of sitting, try to move throughout the day, try to walk up stairs more often or walk to the toilet faster.  This will help to prevent your body from becoming stiff & tired.

The only negatives to improving fitness levels are people start exercising too fast, too hard, too much & use the wrong equipment or techniques.  This can lead to injury, not achieving goals & not improving fitness levels.

Ask one of our trainers for help & to design a starter plan here