How and how long to build stamina to stay on elliptical for 30 mins?

so I thought I was cool cuz I ran everyday for 30 mins and walked for 45 ... and I just got on an ellipitcal and couldn't last longer than 3 minutes without having to stop. How can I build my endurance to stay on for 30 mins, and how long will it take?? mind u its not an ellipitcal with a digital screen (cheap university) and so i have no way of tracking myself. let's assume im starting from scratch here.


thanks for any help





21 yo, 135 lbs, 5'5

How and how long to build stamina to stay on elliptical for 30 mins?
well . . . don't pedal as fast/hard as you can and hopefully you will be able to last longer without having to stop . . . if you feel like you need to stop, just slow down, but don't stop





start with the resistance very low (at zero, or as low as it goes) and work for 20 minutes . . . do that for a couple weeks





then you want to start building stamina by doing interval training (alternate every 3 minutes between the lowest resistance [0] and a low-medium resistance [6-8 on a 1-20 scale])





after a couple weeks, try to go for 25 minutes at the lowest resistance . . . then, after about a week, try interval training for 25 minutes





after 2 or 3 weeks, try going for a full 30 minutes . . . then, after a week, try interval training for 30 minutes





as you build more stamina, slowly raise the resistance (for example, in interval training, alternating between 4-6 and 14-16 or 8-10 and 18-20), working back up from 20 to 30 minutes when you significantly raise the resistance level





as you build even more stamina, you will be able to work on the higher resistance levels for longer and longer periods of time
Reply:Wow.. you couldn't stay on for 3 minutes??? I never ran or walked, and the first week I was at the gym I was on it for 20 minutes. The key is not to get off. You can keep track of how long you are on with a clock... you dont need an expensive machine to time you.





You can go slower on the elliptical, that will make it seem not so hard
Reply:The tension is probably up too high. Make it lower to something equivalent to the treadmill.