Gloi

Cheers Kickchick. I do agree with you that cardiovascular tolerance can be built up over time. The problem for me is keeping in a good enough condition to workout hard enough to improve it. Last autumn I was doing really well and for just about the first time ever I was starting to be able to go on the jogger at the gym for a reasonable amount of time and to go out a bit running(although slowly) on the roads. Then I went and broke a bone in my foot (bashing it on a bench in the changing rooms )and by the time it had recovered enough to start again I was back to square one. (Fortunately I didn't have to give up the karate completely at the time as I could walk in bare feet, it was wearing shoes that was very painful). I'm very prone to bronchitis in the winter too which always manages to knock my fitness back. One day I'll win hopefully. It's just that it's always two steps forward one step back - or vice versa. I'm off down the dojo tonight, and weather permitting I'll get a good walk in the Lake District tomorrow, so plug on...... Alison

I have asthma which is brought on by exercise amongst other things. For the past three years I have been working really hard at trying to improve my fitness and do make an effort to do some sort of exercise every day. I do 4 days a week shotokan karate, gym work and go hill walking whenever I can. I've found the stop/start nature of the training in the dojo has made it a goo thing for me because although I get out of breath, I have time to recover before the next exercise so I rarely have any problems that make me have to drop out of the class, unless I am not 100% to start with. The only thing I have a real problem with is if we have to run around the dojo as a warm up which they occasionally make us do. I have found it very frustrating though that no matter what I do I find it impossible to get my cv work up to the level of a normal unfit person. With working out I've increased my strength and flexibility and and have good stamina in my muscles but still struggle to manage even a slow jog without getting out of breath. I do recover more quickly though. Alison