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What exercise/program defines BORING for you?

ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
People are all different. Some find joy in exercising with weights and others with cardio, while some love yoga, etc. But I'm more than sure many here have tried forms of exercise they found boring. What made it boring to you? For me, it was cycling class. There's really only a couple of ways to pedal, so while yes you can turn up resistance, or "climb", doing an hour of cycling classes don't do it for me. I do have a mountain bike that I ride outside which I do enjoy.

Let's hear 'em.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited January 2021
    Pretty much any indoor, stationary cardio with one caveat which is I have discovered Zwift and enjoy it far more than any other indoor cycling I've ever done. Not so much the just riding around part...though that can be mildly entertaining, but I am enjoying the structured programs and workouts and it's easy to see where I need to improve and see improvements being made...like my pedal stroke is inefficient with lots of dead spots and my FTP is for *kitten* right now...which I kinda expected being off the bike for about 9 months. I also like the whole "video game" aspect of it and chasing badges and whatnot and lots of cumulative training data in one place.

    But yeah...pretty much droning away on the treadmill, elliptical, stair master, my old dumb indoor trainer, etc...You're just staring at the wall. I also don't really enjoy cardio that doesn't have some kind of real world functionality that translates over to other things I do. I've yet to figure out what the elliptical would make me better at (except for improved cardiovascular capacity)...plus it makes my feet go numb. Also, jumping around my living room to a DVD or YouTube just doesn't do it for me...it makes me feel like I'm just doing random stuff to do stuff...which is fine, but not my cup of tea.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    Isometric holds. Essentric moves. Yoga. Pilates.

    Thing is boring isn't necessarily bad. All of the above have a place (although minor lol) in my workouts at some point during the year.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    It's a tossup between walking on a treadmill and yoga. I think yoga might have the lead though because you could always watch TV while on the treadmill.
  • Jennliftsandspins
    Jennliftsandspins Posts: 151 Member
    Walking outside alone. I want to walk with friends or my husband.

    On the treadmill or rower I can watch a show but usually choose YouTube to spin, do yoga or circuit training.
  • gigius72
    gigius72 Posts: 183 Member
    I like movement. I can't stay in place for to long.
    I love running (not on a treadmill). I've been doing Aikido for close to 15 years and as meditation I use taichi.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I don’t really mind anything I’ve tried. Indoor cardio is probably the closest to boring, but I just put on a podcast and I’m good to go.

    But I’d always rather be lifting. 😉
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Resistance training. I mean, I know it's important, but if there was another way to get those benefits, I'd quit so quickly.

    Also not a fan of anything that has me watching someone else's movements and repeating, like aerobics, etc. I'd much rather have a simpler movement and be able to let my mind wander, things like running, cycling, etc.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,656 Member
    Running or cycling (sorry @sijomial ) and prehab work. Necessary but deathly boring. Let me clean and jerk!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So many of the listed cardio workouts, when inside, if no music - so boring.

    Can tolerate or enjoy if music available.
    Have done 2 hrs on gym spin bike with my own mix with cadence (bpm music) changes for up & down hill and level hard efforts, my own routine.
    Treadmill same thing, some variety in pacing and matching music needed.

    Stretching can barely do needed required stuff so will call that the most boring, but never tried a yoga or stretching class because I know I couldn't take it.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Walking outside alone. I want to walk with friends or my husband.

    On the treadmill or rower I can watch a show but usually choose YouTube to spin, do yoga or circuit training.

    Y'know, I think this is something bizarre about my brain**, but I can't watch TV while rowing machining.

    Music, podcasts, audio only: Fine.

    Add video, and I lose focus on technical details and groove in bad habits that will bite me come Spring, when back in a boat (where bad technique can easily turn rowing into swimming, Not A Good Thing especially in open water in Michigan in Spring, because cold, maybe even ice chunks at first).

    ** To make my point explicit: I'm not criticizing you! It's me that's weird. I'm actually envious of you.
  • freda666
    freda666 Posts: 338 Member
    Indoor cardio bores me to tears.

    Yep, but that is what I do when it is too cold and/or wet for my daily 5 mile walk. I put a film on and try to forget about the activity.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    Anything using a machine :smile: I LOVE TO SWIM!!!
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Walking outside alone. I want to walk with friends or my husband.

    On the treadmill or rower I can watch a show but usually choose YouTube to spin, do yoga or circuit training.
    While time passes faster with someone, I actually enjoy walking alone. Gives me the time to get "within" myself and think. And I think of a lot of different things. As of late it's been about how I can improve my home.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Same here. I also try to do a bit of "mindful walking" and get out in nature a bit. My husband would rather go with me, and I feel bad telling him I'd rather go by myself!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Walking outside alone. I want to walk with friends or my husband.

    On the treadmill or rower I can watch a show but usually choose YouTube to spin, do yoga or circuit training.

    Y'know, I think this is something bizarre about my brain**, but I can't watch TV while rowing machining.

    Music, podcasts, audio only: Fine.

    Add video, and I lose focus on technical details and groove in bad habits that will bite me come Spring, when back in a boat (where bad technique can easily turn rowing into swimming, Not A Good Thing especially in open water in Michigan in Spring, because cold, maybe even ice chunks at first).

    ** To make my point explicit: I'm not criticizing you! It's me that's weird. I'm actually envious of you.

    I'm the same way on my bike when I had my dumb trainer. More like I'd lose focus on my intervals and intensity. I would occasionally spin a bit while watching football or something, but that was pretty much just to move and spin my legs and get a little exercise without any real kind of training purpose.
  • dsc84
    dsc84 Posts: 208 Member
    Not a fan of steady state cardio. I'll lift anything heavy any day of the week, but tell me I have to go for a long walk or run I'm not interested. I love HIIT type cardio.
  • freda666
    freda666 Posts: 338 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Walking outside alone. I want to walk with friends or my husband.

    On the treadmill or rower I can watch a show but usually choose YouTube to spin, do yoga or circuit training.

    Y'know, I think this is something bizarre about my brain**, but I can't watch TV while rowing machining.

    Music, podcasts, audio only: Fine.

    Add video, and I lose focus on technical details and groove in bad habits that will bite me come Spring, when back in a boat (where bad technique can easily turn rowing into swimming, Not A Good Thing especially in open water in Michigan in Spring, because cold, maybe even ice chunks at first).

    ** To make my point explicit: I'm not criticizing you! It's me that's weird. I'm actually envious of you.

    I'm the same way on my bike when I had my dumb trainer. More like I'd lose focus on my intervals and intensity. I would occasionally spin a bit while watching football or something, but that was pretty much just to move and spin my legs and get a little exercise without any real kind of training purpose.

    I have a app on my tablet that beeps at the intervals I set. Really works for me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    For those of you bored by yoga, have you tried the "power" yoga types? Ashtanga?

    I'm never bored by yoga, but I have to be in the right head space for it - already reasonably chill.

    I'm bored by any indoor stationary cardio.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Walking outside alone. I want to walk with friends or my husband.

    On the treadmill or rower I can watch a show but usually choose YouTube to spin, do yoga or circuit training.

    Y'know, I think this is something bizarre about my brain**, but I can't watch TV while rowing machining.

    Music, podcasts, audio only: Fine.

    Add video, and I lose focus on technical details and groove in bad habits that will bite me come Spring, when back in a boat (where bad technique can easily turn rowing into swimming, Not A Good Thing especially in open water in Michigan in Spring, because cold, maybe even ice chunks at first).

    ** To make my point explicit: I'm not criticizing you! It's me that's weird. I'm actually envious of you.
    Possibly because your focal view changes when watching TV while rowing. It's back and forth so your eyes focus and refocus continually whereas on the others you don't need to eye focus.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png