thoughts on how big your exercise changes are

lisaisso

hey-
was just curious how big of a change you guys do so you keep out of a rut and see continuous changes.. for example, like is it taking 10 or 15 min of your normally 30 min elliptical routine and doing the bike or treadmill? or is it switching exercise all together? only on some days? alternating cardio workouts???
as you can see, i'm at a crossroads :indifferent: lead me mfp!:laugh:

cmlanctot

I have a problem of getting bored with my exercise routines. The only idea I have is to switch things up often. I don't do gyms so I find that different cardio workout tapes help out. I had a salsa cardio tape that I loved for a while but got bored of it, so I switched to cardio kickboxing for something fresh. For the boredom of an elliptical try setting up a television with your home exercise equipment. If your mind is on the movie/tv show you're watching the exercise just gives your body something to do while your mind is occupied. If you have an elliptical and you like to read (this takes some skill to master but I got it eventually) take that really good book you're reading with you on the elliptical/treadmill/stationary bike. A good MP3 player also helps sometimes.

jim_weldon

I alternate between exercises - swimming, running & biking. To spice it up, I will do two different ones in the same day. The biggest motivator to me is to actually register for a race (5k, etc.). The embarrassment factor is a huge motivation tool.

fjtcjt

You could try both. Switching totally to treadmill one day and do interval training, slow then fast speeds (different speeds for everyone). The slope can also be changed on most treadmills during interval training.

Or you could do 10 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes on treadmill, 10 minutes on the step...what ever works for you.

Sometimes it breaks the training up nicely to switch every 10 to 15 minutes, then 10 minutes becomes you goal instead of 30 minutes...

lisaisso

awesome ideas guys, thanks..
today i'm going to try the 10-10-10, or maybe the 20-10, or maybe the.. but not to forget the... LOL

the possibilities are endless!! :laugh:

annekejohnson

I have been having a hard time getting into the exercise room... I have been going to the beach and walking to the end of the island and back, boogie boarding, taking walks around the neighborhood (which I have met some nice neighbors too), going out dancing for hours and hours and I think this for me is a better way to integrate exercise into my life because the boredom of going down to the gym, sitting in there alone listening to my mp3 player and reading or watching tv as I exercise is mind numbing. Also, I can take my kids with me when I walk other places.