How to avoid boredom

The downside of cardio exercise is that it can get monotonous.  Here are some ways to make it less boring:

 

1.     Loud music.  This is not the time to listen to lullabies.  We want something with a beat!

2.     Podcasts or audio books.  I don’t recommend reading because in my experience it is very difficult to read on any of the pieces of exercise equipment and work out hard enough, but if words are motivational, try listening to them.  A lot of people also swear by watching tv while exercising.

3.     Intervals.  I know I write about these all the time, but they are magic.  After we are warmed up, we increase the pace and/or intensity of what we are doing to the hardest we can manage for a minute.  Then we recover for a minute or two and do it again.  And again.  We burn a bunch more calories, we challenge ourselves, and we improve faster.

4.     Change of venue.  There are so many kinds of cardio that we can almost always find something different.  Swapping the bike for a stationary bike or vice versa for a few days can be refreshing.  Choosing to row or run or dance or swim can make us have a whole new perspective.  Even choosing a different route for the daily walk can help.  In non-plague times, I would suggest trying a different class, but save that idea for when it is safe.

5.     Do it with a buddy.  Safely.  So we might have to rope our family/housemates into working out with us, or we might have to resort to Zoom.  Alternatively, we can have that keep-in-touch phone call with our bestie while we each walk safely and separately wherever we happen to be.

6.     Experiment.  We all are creative beings and we all have our own preferences.  When we try different ways to spice up the workout, we can find what works best for us.  And then we can share our new discoveries!

 

Go play.