Andrew Swallow says adjusting to the new interchange cap has been a lot tougher than he envisaged.

Interchange rotations were reduced from a maximum of 120 a team to 90 ahead of this season, as part of the AFL's push to promote more open and flowing games.

The North Melbourne captain told AFL.com.au the reduced cap had taken a toll on players in the first two rounds of 2016, prompting the Roos to reduce their training loads.

"It's been tough, probably a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," Swallow said.

"It's definitely taking a much bigger toll on the players. We're probably doing less work early in the week than what we have been in previous years.

"I think it's probably going to take another month for everyone to get used to the way the game's being played and for your body to adapt and cope with that load."

Swallow entered 2016 on the back on a limited pre-season, with off-season surgery on both knees delaying his return to North's main training group until February.

After "battling" through North's three NAB Challenge games, the Roos skipper is confident his body is coming good.

"I feel like the body is getting better," Swallow said.

"I played all three NAB Challenge games just because I needed the match fitness, so it was good to get through that.

"But it feels like it's starting to turn the corner. I'm starting to move a bit more freely out there and am in a lot less pain, which makes it a bit easier."

North's 2-0 opening to 2016 is its best start to a season since 2005.

Swallow says the Roos' fast start to the year has created a "much better" atmosphere around the club than at the same time in previous seasons.

But as pleasing as it was to get the four points against Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions (at the Gabba), Swallow said North still had plenty of room for improvement.

"I don't think we're playing great footy at the moment," he said.

"We're getting wins, which we probably have battled to do in the past couple of years when we're not at our best, so from that point of view it's been pleasing."But our ball movement probably hasn't been great. Our defending has been better, I think we've got a pretty good balance there.

"But I think there's plenty of room for improvement with the way we move the footy."