I'm debating whether I should keep running.

Here's my cardio routine on the treadmill:

40 minutes consisting of intervals of 3 minutes high speed run with 2 minutes superwalk/slow jog. Sometimes I up the elevation, sometimes I don't.

Once that's started, I'm usually only 15 minutes in by the time I start cursing the machine and dreading the whole thing.

I'm wondering if I could just powerwalk instead of that interval high intensity work?

How many minutes would you recommend or anyone experience this same drama with the treadmill as I have?

I read in someone's post that walking is supposed to encourage burning fat while running scares the body and makes it discourage the burning of fat?

i usually just walk at a fast pace for 3 miles usually takes me 40 - 50 mins try listening to fast paced music or watch the tv

Wow, my thoughts are that if you hate it you won't keep it up. Power wallking sounds good, especially if it means you will keep it up.

Im no pro and dont really have any advice other than do what you like...what feels better to you...youll not want to give it up that way...pretty much what rapiddash said

I don't think exercise is very productive if it's something you hate. I run my slower runs at about the pace my Dad used to powerwalk. Powerwalking can kick your butt so don't worry about not getting a good workout. If you do it on an incline, you'll really be getting a workout.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I may have worded my post wrong- I don't hate running, I dread the difficulty of that intense workout (intense in my opinion) and also the fatigue that comes afterwards (about 2-3hrs later I get so tired)

I used to run well and be able to keep up and barely be bothered but now it's really hard for me and since I just started up I was wondering if there was a way to just powerwalk (i.e. for longer time than intense running) in order to get the same or close to the same workout.

I have been powerwalking now since I posted that and I feel much better and more motivated and I'm doing it for 60mins instead of the running routine.

Im happy you like power walking...its really good for you..but anything ya do that moves your body is good for you...me personally Im not up to that yet..I will be soon enough i guess...I can only go to about 3.0-3.2 on the treadmill and its almost too fast for me lol....take care

You might really enjoy googling the info from Mark Sisson on "Chronic Cardio." He goes into different cardio workouts and how intense and how long and what each is good for.

Bottom line - he advocates the super hard intervals for a max of 20 minutes, only once a week. The rest of the days you do any old thing that feels good up to 75 percent of your heart rate max (and there's a new formula for women!

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune...-for-women.html )

Yeah, that's so true...I've even had days where I considered being able to do housechores a workout! haha. But yes, powerwalking is helping me.

I'm proud of you for at least doing what you can on the 'mill. It's hard, I don't think it's that easy to do it but then again I used to eat a bag of doritos as a starter.

Good luck to you too!

Hey Seejay- thank you so so so very much for that. I'm shocked, never knew that. I was told to do it 5 days a week and sometimes twice a day! *faints* No wonder I was dreading it. Thanks again I'm going to write about the article in my journal now so I don't forget to read up.

I know! I was too! But I trust what he says, he was a cardio junkie himself, LOL. No wonder indeed!