Exercise Is So Boring! Help?!

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  • emysirlaki
    emysirlaki Posts: 14 Member
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    Walk with a friend...it makes time go by much faster and walking for an hour helps you lose a lot of calories and is good for anyone who isn't totally fit.

    I usually have a stationary bike and I watch tv while I bicycle. It makes time go by much faster.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    I work out on machines only (not one for jogging outdoors like my friends and hubby) so I load up my Netflix instant queue with tons of favorite movies to have on my phone while I work out. Not new movies I've never seen before that I'd have to concentrate on, but movies that I've seen and love. I've loved catching up on so many favorite movies over the past few months. I also watched a few seasons of my favorite TV shows like Firefly and Castle as well. Sometimes, if I finish a workout for the night and I only have a short bit of the movie left, I'm actually chomping at the bit to get back the next night to finish it up. heh

    And I love 80's movies while I work out because so many of them have such great music that it's these perfect little bursts of extra energy. Like last night I was struggling through a run/jog on the treadmill and had Karate Kid on. It got to the tournament scene and that song You're the Best Around came on and totally powered me through where I was at. :D

    Just be careful not to get too focused on the movie itself (i.e. looking down at the little screen the whole time) because you don't really want to be doing cardio with your head cocked down, that's the other reason for picking movies you know. So you can till look ahead most of the time and know what's going on without having to watch it the entire time.
  • LokiFae
    LokiFae Posts: 774 Member
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    I signed up for a gym and have to stay for at least a year, because it's in the contract. There's a huge fee to cancel the contract, and we have the money taken out of our checking account every month. That helps me get motivated to get there.

    Now, once I'm there, that's a different story. I've tried to find a way to make exercise fun and rewarding for myself, and finally I found my perfect formula for running yesterday. I'm doing the Couch to 5K program, and I've signed up to run a 5K with my mom in April. That's motivation for me, because I have an end goal. I used to HATE running, but since I knew I was working towards something, I pushed myself to do it. And now I LOVE running. I got my very first runner's high yesterday and holy crap! How have I been missing out on this for so long?

    I also downloaded some podcasts for the C25K program, and that helps immensely. If I don't have to time my own intervals, I'm not clock watching, and that's what makes the most difference for me. I even cover the timer on the treadmill with a towel, so I can't see how much time I have left or how long I've been on. It helps SO much.

    It sounds like you really want to find something that you like, so I think you probably will. The first step is trying it, and eventually you'll find something that you can't wait to do. :smile:
  • happy_vegan
    happy_vegan Posts: 200 Member
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    I used to hate it too..getting motivated to GET to the gym was always the hard part...
    now it's all i want to do, and the change happened over like 2 weeks time.

    1) i found that i used to be a half-hour exerciser and i wasn't motivated. now that i go for longer stretches i'm more motivated based on the mental benefits "highs" from all those endorphins. around 45 minutes to 1 hour they start really coming. around 1hr30minutes it's hard to want to leave the gym because you've hit your stride and the endorphins are really strong.
    30 minutes just isn't enough. this high keeps me going back first and foremost. it's an amazing, positive feeling.

    2) I don't have a tv so the gym is the only place i get to watch guilty pleasures like every show on bravo or hgtv or something. or the daily show. i usually look at the tvguide schedule and see when something i want to watch is on - then i'm not bored and the exercise happened like magic.

    3) If you spend extended amounts of time at the gym you can still eat the foods you really like, and meet the 1200 calorie goal without feeling like you're starving. this means the occasional sweet can be ok!
  • centralvalgal
    centralvalgal Posts: 12 Member
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    I am with you I don't dislike excercise but I do get bored doing repetive motion. I like bike riding with my family @ the park, I love hiking, white water rafting, dirt bike riding but none of these activities are an option on a daily basis. I I have to watch television when I am working out. Netflix is my new friend I ride my stationary or use my treadmill while watching old television series right now I am working my way thru Bones. It's kind of like I have to distract my mind or I have too much time to think about everything else I would rather be doing.
  • soze
    soze Posts: 604 Member
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    Try doing the exercise that fits with your favorite activity. If you like dancing do dancing exercises. For instance I enjoy golf so I do exercises for balance and swing motion. If you like canoeing use the rowing machine. Be creative.
  • KatieM7
    KatieM7 Posts: 588 Member
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    Find something that you enjoy doing and do it! If you find something to be boring then you are not going to want to do it. I have a stationary bike and it is dead boring BUT I have videos that I love to do. I like to dance but I am not that great at it so Turbo Jam works good for me. When it is warm outside I like to go for a bike ride because the scenery is always changing. You got to figure out what you enjoy doing and do it!

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