reduced effort tolerance

I heard that phrase, for the first time, when I went to see a doctor to complain about feeling like I wasn't getting enough oxygen: I inhale, but the air I breathe in doesn't seem to have enough oxygen in it, I remember saying. Turns out I was right. And after telling her that that's how I felt when I walked up even a slight slope, that's what she said I was displaying: Reduced effort tolerance.

Every day, I walk. Sometimes slowly, sometimes more briskly. And, I walk for about an hour. A full 60 minutes, to the beat of a playlist I've created on Spotify.

Today, I decided to check my oxygen levels while I walked briskly, to a playlist I've named Trippin'

In the mornings, at the start of my walking-in-circles, my oxygen level hovers around 95 - 96%.

But after about a half hour of walking, it drops to this:

I am not uncomfortable, because I can still keep pace with the beat, and it's pretty brisk.

After a while, I notice that the oxygen level drops:

It dropped from this:

. . .  and then to 91%  - which I had no opportunity to grab a shot of. At this point, I'm usually a tad panicked by the continued beeping, and I'm doing my Pursed Lip Breathing exercises, and trying to bring up my oxygen.

And I succeed! Yay! The level climbs back to about 94% and even goes up to 95-6% as I walk and breathe. 

After the hour of exercise, my levels improve while I slow down and rest, and eventually, they are at this:

And with continued cooling down and breathing, it climbs to this:

. . . which is actually better than what I usually start out with!

So, this is how I walk-in-circles, every day. Whether I'm feeling good, or feeling shitty, I get off my arse, and tell myself it is time to walk. If it's a not-so-good day, and I'm feeling tired, I walk slowly (to my playlist named, sLoW); if I feel all right, I walk to Tripping. Sometimes, I start out on sLoW and then feel better and change it up. Sometimes, I start out fast, and decide it is just too much, and switch it down to sLoW. Occasionally, I just want to sing, and then, I'll play something with which I can sing along, and just be happy.

I try to hit at least 7k steps during that 60 minutes of walking. Sometimes, it's less, but most times, it's more.