Constantly Running

[TotallyExhausted]

I've been trying to strengthen my heart as I have congenital heart disease, and I get exhausted quite quickly.

I don't want to do small runs like one lap around a track constantly, but I want to do longer runs, but I get exhausted and tired quickly.

Is there any way of working this better?

[Cobalt]

It might help for you to do a few breathing exercises to get your lungs working more effectively. This will enhance the delivery of oxygen around the body and may take the edge off the exhaustion you currently experience.

You also need to work on your stamina which unfortunately can only really be helped by repetative exercise. My advice would be to build up a training routine and stick to it. Start off several short runs per week - I know it's not much fun once around the track, but you need to build up your muscles, improve your breathing and improve stamina. You should notice these laps becoming easier over time, and once you can complete a run in relative comfort, increase the length of your run and start again.

Learning to run long distances, especially with health problems, is a long and difficult process. However, if you enjoy running and have the willpower to stick with it, you will find it very rewarding as you find yourself getting fitter and capable of running further.