How To Make Cardio Less Boring

Can You Make Cardio Less Boring?

Cardio is a necessity if you’re looking to shed extra weight and slim down. But it’s not always as fun as it’s cracked up to be.

Sure, your first 5 minutes running on the treadmill can feel extremely freeing, especially if the weather outside is cold and wet and it’s your only option to get your legs moving. But after so long, a cardio routine can begin to feel monotonous and very draining of your motivation and energy.

However, there are lots of ways for you to make cardio less boring and more fun while helping your fitness goals.

Mix Things Up

Not only will doing lots of different activities help keep you excited about your workouts, it will also help promote fat loss by keeping your body guessing. In addition, it will help you avoid injury.

When you stick to just one activity, it’s easy to overwork specific muscle groups, leading to an overuse injury. Then,  before you know it, that can keep you off your cardio routine for weeks or even months as you recover. That’s why it’s important to mix things up.

While you might do a lower body evoking bike ride today, tomorrow it might be a full body swim and, the next day, perhaps you’ll go for a brisk walk or jog. Participating in lots of different activities will help make sure you’re targeting all your muscle groups and will make your cardio less boring for you.

Free Report: Top Types of Cardio Workout
 
Skip The Gym

While it may sound counterintuitive to your workout routine to forego your regular gym routine, this is along the same lines of the above. Do something different! Although you can probably find lots of new machines at the gym that you haven’t used before, the best way to avoid cardio boredom is to get in your daily cardio with the help of a fun activity.

One of the best ways to get in your daily cardio without thinking twice about it is to get your friends or family involved. A social sport or activity will get you running around with some friendly competition in no time at all, and you won’t even consider it exercise as you’re doing it. Also, having an accountability partner can make all the difference!

Multitask

Although multitasking can sometimes reduce your productivity throughout other parts of your day, when it comes to your cardio routine, it can make your cardio less boring. Don’t hesitate to watch TV, read a book, or rock out to your favorite songs as you enjoy your cardio. If you find yourself getting bored still, try picking an upbeat playlist and putting things on shuffle so you stop counting the minutes left on the timer.

Get Better Results

If you’ve been exercising for some time and not seen any results, it can be demotivating and make your workouts seem like a pointless chore.  But a lot of people exercise very inefficiently. They burn 1000 calories when they could be burning 1,500. So, the next time you step on a treadmill or an elliptical, try working out your arms. If you are on an elliptical, actually grab the handles. The act of your arms being pulled forward and then back works out muscles in your arms and burns extra calories.

Add Variety Into Your Rest Periods 

It’s not just variety in your exercise that can keep motivated. Many people slow down during their running workout and start walking so that they aren’t remaining completely stationary. This is true whether they are running on trails or using a treadmill.  Instead of walking to regain energy, try doing lunges. Lunges are slow, so you can still regain your breath and get some energy back. At the same time, lunges also burn more calories and work out more muscle groups than walking. It also keeps your heart rate up and keeps it interesting.

Free Report: Make Cardio Less Boring With Top Cardio Workouts

There are two cardio-type methods. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and steady state. For many people, a HIIT workout can feel like a heart attack and is too intense and strenuous. Steady state cardio is simply a cardio workout where you put out a continuous, steady effort. It works for many because it’s straightforward and easy to embrace. If you haven’t exercised in a long time or you want to push your current workout routine and take it to the next level, download my free report, Top Types of Steady State Cardio Workout.