dividing up exercise time

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NeuroRN76

0
For the purposes of losing a small amount of weight (5-10 pounds) and simply for cardiovascular health... I know I should get at least an hour of exercise/activity daily. I plan on using an elliptical machine as my cardio of choice. My question is, can that hour be divided into 15 minute blocks, 4 times per day, or do I have to do a full hour at once? I'm asking because I won't be used to that type of exercise, and I won't stick with it if I get winded after 15 minutes. I'd like to work my way up to doing a full hour once a day, but I'm curious if it has to be that way in order to reap the full benefits. My guess is that it's fine to do that for cardiovascular health, but probably not very effective in burning fat. Am I right?

(PS: I know it's been a couple months since I've posted. I had some serious family drama going on, so I took a break from exercise/dieting. Other things in my life took priority, but now I'm ready to give it another shot!)
 
First, remember, almost any exercise is better than no exercise. I don't think you have to do a hour everyday for it to be useful. 20 minutes, 3 times a week is enough cardio to make good progress, at least to start with. You can gradually increase it over time, as your fitness level improves, but it is not necessary. More intensity is better than more time. Just up the level over time rather than the duration. And on alternate days do some type of resistance exercise, for maximum beneft. Again, it is possible to get a really good workout in 20 minutes if that is all the time you have to devote to it.
 
To followup on dswithers advice, which is good, start at a low enough intensity and time duration that you stick with it. The worst thing of all is for you to get injured or quit. Also, start a journal here, online, or at home and record your results. As you improve, it will motivate you to try even hard until you become a sick individual like me.

As for time increments, I have heard that 20 minutes is the minimum duration threshold of cardiovascular gains, so start off with at least 20 minutes at a level that doesn't make you want to quit.
 
Ok, I can do 20 minute intervals, but 3 times a week doesn't seem like enough to lose weight. Even 20 min per day doesn't seem like it would be enough. I'll be eating cleaner, but the idea was to increase my activity so I didn't have to starve myself to lose weight. I'm much happier when I don't have to scrutinize over every calorie, so I figured more exercise would give me a little more freedom to eat, while still taking off that stubborn 5-10 pounds. I probably eat around 2000 calories per day, on a normal day. When dieting, I have to consume only 1200-1400 cal to see any results, and then I become preoccupied with food because I'm so hungry all the time. Then my blood sugar crashes, and I want to eat every carb in sight. I'd love to be able to eat a little bit more, and just burn it off with some exercise, and finally get back in shape. And STAY in shape. I've been fluctuating back and forth between 110 and 120 pounds all year long. I just want to get back to 110 and STAY THERE.
 
There are two ways to lose weight:

1. Reduce your calorie intake but not increase your metabolism. This will cause fat loss but also some muscle loss. You don't want to do this.

2. Increase your metabolism without increasing your eating. Probably the direction you want to go, but it is difficult for someone to just jump headfirst into exercising and I generally recommend a more gradual approach. If you can do this, go for it, but don't overwhelm yourself to the point that you quit exercising.
 
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