Are you out of breath after an hour walk with conversation?

[Anonymous]

This is beginning to concern me. I walk the dog alone or with a friend/husband/kid. The walk is 3 miles and takes an hour. If I'm by myself and don't talk, I come home perfectly fine. If I talk with someone on the way, I get so out of breath that I need time to sit down and drink something when I come home.

Is this normal, or am I terribly out of shape?

[Anonymous]

What kind of walk is this? A flat walk, no hills or stairs? I think that's not normal and you are out of shape.

But I can't really run and chat with people. I don't know if it's about not being capable, or not *wanting* to. But hard cardio + talking is definitely more challenging I think.

A 3mph flat walk is not hard cardio.

[Anonymous]

How old are you? Not normal imo. 3 miles in an hour seems like a slow pace. Are there a lot of hills on your route?

Get your cholesterol checked. Vary your speed when walking to build up stamina. Walk briskly for a minute then slow down to recover and so on.

[Anonymous]

Not remotely normal. Go to the doctor. Something is up. Not being able to walk and talk is concerning.

[Anonymous]

That is not normal. I would definitely suggest getting your heart and lungs listened to. The doctor can also send you for a treadmill test.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

It's a suburban walk, there are some roads with inclines because one neighborhood is higher than the other, but it's not steep terrain.

I'm 44, my recent lipid panel and blood pressure were normal, but I've never been a hard exerciser. I don't run or do high intensity training.

[Anonymous]

Not normal. Have you had Covid recently?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not normal. Have you had Covid recently?

No, nor any other infection.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if whomever your walking companion is moves faster so you’re getting a better workout when you’re with someone. It might not be the talking but the faster pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if whomever your walking companion is moves faster so you’re getting a better workout when you’re with someone. It might not be the talking but the faster pace.

Fwiw I’m 43 and when I go out on walks I’m at 15:00 min/mi pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if whomever your walking companion is moves faster so you’re getting a better workout when you’re with someone. It might not be the talking but the faster pace.

Actually it's the talking specifically - I take 50 minutes when I'm by myself, but an hour or slightly more when talking with someone. We just naturally slow down to talk, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

It's a suburban walk, there are some roads with inclines because one neighborhood is higher than the other, but it's not steep terrain.

I'm 44, my recent lipid panel and blood pressure were normal, but I've never been a hard exerciser. I don't run or do high intensity training.

Your cardiovascular health is poor. You can chance it though, 44 is not too late.

I'm 44F and ran 3.3 miles this morning. I'm not fast, running and talking would be much harder (mentally, but also physically). But out of breath while talking + walking clearly means your cardio fitness is poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

It's a suburban walk, there are some roads with inclines because one neighborhood is higher than the other, but it's not steep terrain.

I'm 44, my recent lipid panel and blood pressure were normal, but I've never been a hard exerciser. I don't run or do high intensity training.

Your cardiovascular health is poor. You can chance it though, 44 is not too late.

I'm 44F and ran 3.3 miles this morning. I'm not fast, running and talking would be much harder (mentally, but also physically). But out of breath while talking + walking clearly means your cardio fitness is poor.

This is the answer. All of this can be turned around. When the pandemic came around walking was exercise for me because I had let myself go. Now I can definitely run a half marathon while talking to somebody, though not at my race pace.

Mine is an extreme example, but the point is it can be turned around. Cardiovascular fitness is very strongly linked to longevity.

[Anonymous]

I’m out of breath walking up hills and a flight of stairs and always have been. Have never been able to figure out why (did the treadmill test once upon a time, lung function test, lung ct scans etc). I am fairly active and this happens even in periods of my life when I’m exercising cardio regularly. I’ve just accepted this is who I am, at 45. I work through this and yes have a hard time conversing while walking uphill.

[Anonymous]

Check for anemia that's how I felt when I was very badly anemic.