How do you make exercise less repetitive?

[lelggren]

I have recently started exercising again after a long rebellion.....we won't get into that....lol But, I was wondering what all of you do for your exercise, and how do you keep it from getting too repetitive? I work out at our apartment fitness center, and so I do mostly treadmill and bike.

[sydneya]

:wavey: I walk outside three times a week with a group of friends. Three times a week I go to a fitness club that was set up by the hospital on a diabetic grant. At first it was only for diabetics. Then they opened it to the public. It has several machines that we take forty seconds on each machine, the music stops and we move to the next. Forty seconds doesn't sound like much but it works. On those days, I walk to the fitness center (only two miles). On those snowy icy days which we have every once in a while, I put Leslie Sansome in and do her Walking away the Pounds video.
Now, I say I do these things--but I have just started the plan. I'm just starting after "a long rebellion". (actually, a long lazy period rebellion.)Not LOL.:( :elefant: Wish me luck to keep with the motivation.

[Ritehsedad]

I try to bike to work whenever I can. This time of year its 2-3 days per week. I count each day as 1 hour, with my goal each week of 3.5 hours. I make up the difference on the exercise bike. This has been a bad week, I was only able to bike to work yesterday.

[valc3]

If I'm at the gym and have a need for change, I'll break up my cardio workout into 15 minute increments. 15 on treadmill, 15 rowing, 15 elliptical, 15 bike, etc. I'll also reverse the order I do them in. If I'm out walking or hiking, I take a different route. Sometimes music helps.

[Mark C]

I walk five + miles per day on a predictable route. I track it with a GPS and kind of make a game out of it. I also use an iPod to listen to and set my pace.

[Cinnabon]

I always watch a movie or good TV show at the time Im gonna jump on the treadmill.

[jen_slc]

It's difficult to keep exercise on machines from getting repetitive, apart from changing up the routine/machines you use and listening to different music while you're doing it. I had a mixed tape I listened to ALL the time as a freshman in college and now any time I hear any of those songs, I get sucked back into my days on the stairmaster, lol. Machines actually drive me crazy - I much prefer classes. Ok, so the classes get a bit repetitive after you've been going for a while, but it's so much better than the machines imo. You could maybe find a place near you that has classes as well as machines? Plus when it gets warmer you could buy a cheap bike and go biking or head up into the mountains for some hiking/walking. I don't think that's ever boring/repetitive, there's too much to explore.

[am1977]

Probably any type of exercise can become repetitive after awhile :rolleyes:. I think that's why people give up on it...it's hard to remain motivated. I go exercise every day, but, believe me, it's hard some days. I have to literally drag myself there.

I think what's really important is to find something you truly enjoy...whether it is taking aerobic classes, or dance, or joining a gym and using their equipment.

Good luck! ;)

[DeusXM]

Why not take up a sport instead of exercising? If you're just going to be a hamster and run on the spot, of course you're going to get bored. But a good competative game of squash or tennis or basketball or volleyball or football or whatever certainly won't get dull.

[lelggren]

I wish so much that I was even ok at doing sports. But, sadly, I am so bad at them. I can hit a tennis ball sometimes, but I have never, ever been good at sports. I think that may be part of why I have been so heavily involved in music all my life. But, I suppose that I can look into it. Thanks for the suggestion! :)

[someone]

I wish so much that I was even ok at doing sports. But, sadly, I am so bad at them. I can hit a tennis ball sometimes, but I have never, ever been good at sports. I think that may be part of why I have been so heavily involved in music all my life. But, I suppose that I can look into it. Thanks for the suggestion! :)

So what if you are no good? It is still excercise..

[lelggren]

True, it is still exercise, but if I am bad at it despite trying to be good at it, then I am not going to want to do it. I want to find something that I will stick with and that I will look forward to. Especially since I am just starting to get back into it again. I'm not saying I won't try a sport, but sports have always just come difficult to me and that has made them not fun for me.

So what if you are no good? It is still excercise..

[Lynne1]

I enjoyed training for a 1/2 walking marathon for the ADA. You don't have to train for any particular distance, but just choose something slightly challenging and it will give you a goal to shoot for which will make your training more fun.

The ADA has walks every year and you could train for that. They also have longer walk/run events. They even provided on-line training for the 1/2 and full marathon. Also, runnersworld.com has training guides for newbies...and remember that you don't have to run...walking is great!

I hope this helps.

[DeusXM]

I wish so much that I was even ok at doing sports. But, sadly, I am so bad at them.

Then find someone else who also isn't good at them to play with. It doesn't have to be really competative either - just having another person around and passing a ball back and forth can be reasonably entertaining, and good for you.

Besides, if you don't practise at a sport, you'll never be good at it. No-one's ever brilliant at anything the first time they try it.

[amylo]

Go dancing! Most fitness clubs do classes, and you wont even notice you're doing exercise. Clever, huh?! ;)

[someone]

What about riding a bicycle?

[KickStart101]

Hi Laura: I used to do track, volleyball, gymnastics and Yoga in High
School and years later. But because of other health reasons I could
only do volleyball now, which I don't. I do ride my bike and walk in the spring, summer and fall, I always take different streets to make it more interesting. I have my huge powerball to bounce up and down on while watching some T.V. I always loved dancing, so I just put in 3 of my fave, fast cd's and dance 'til I'm almost tired (you can dance by yourself or with someone, it's cheap at home, it's Great exercise and music that you like lifts your spirits). I also walk briskly or run to music on my tredmill and recently started lifting the 5 lb. barbell weights. Hope that you find something that
suits you.:thumbsup: :)

[Eri's mom]

Eri did well when she was in Tae Kwon Do...and also, kickboxing is good.

[lelggren]

Thanks so much for the help everyone! I appreciate it so much :) You're awesome:adore: I'll try some of these new suggestions this week :) Feel free to give more suggestions too!

[bsr2002]

I do all my working out at home. I recorded 2 months worth of Denise Austin's Morning Workouts from the Women's Channel and work out with it 5 times a week( Since I'm a guy when she does her weight workouts I will use 20 or 25 Lb Dumbells instead of the 5 or 8 Lbs she uses),also going 5 or ten minutes on a step climber after the workout. The other 2 remaining days I will go cycling. :)

[sydneya]

I enjoyed training for a 1/2 walking marathon for the ADA. You don't have to train for any particular distance, but just choose something slightly challenging and it will give you a goal to shoot for which will make your training more fun.

The ADA has walks every year and you could train for that. They also have longer walk/run events. They even provided on-line training for the 1/2 and full marathon. Also, runnersworld.com has training guides for newbies...and remember that you don't have to run...walking is great!

I hope this helps.

I did this a couple years ago and it was lots of fun and I felt like I was doing something to help the ADA, too. And I, too, am not good at exercise or sports. Walking in a group is okay with me though. They even have a walk in my little town.

[lelggren]

Go dancing! Most fitness clubs do classes, and you wont even notice you're doing exercise. Clever, huh?! ;)

I like that one :) I've always wanted to learn to dance:dancing2: :star:

I think I may look into that one. That is something that my husband and I could do together even!;)

[LC7]

I'm fortunate that the fitness center at work has four different televisions to watch while on any of the equipment. Just dial in the frequency on the walkman.

[Vic L]

I play table tennis (ping pong) at a local club here and have lost close to 30 lbs. This is a fantastic sport to take up because anyone can learn it. Even the most un-coordinated can learn. Once you do it is like no other sport out there.

Running, jumping, swinging, blocking. Very fun way to lose weight and it never gets boring. :fight:

Vic L

[rea]

change your music and location, if those are the excersizes you love to do the most.

if you work out at home - try the gym. get new music, or add in excersize dvds that have routines for stationary bikes or treadmills. (they usually involve someone telling you when to go faster, slower, adjust incline or wave your arms).

or change your sport, or instead of a treadmill run outside. you can run different areas over different terrain, (building stairs, hills, trails, streets, parks, mud, fields, snow, beaches,etc). you can go from an outdoor bicycle to a gyms stationary bike, or vice versa.

I have about five different running routes i regularily use depending on the weather or my mood, or I use my cross country ski machine at home, or I jump rope and dance with my 4 year old daughter, or lift weights with music.

or have a baby - you'll be so happy to have time alone to excersize you won't be bored for five years!

[Petruchio]

I mounted a TV/VCR combo in front of the treadmill. I can also watch it from the stationary bike. Time flies with a good movie on.

[Cyborg]

I've always said that there were only 2 truly enjoyable forms of exercise, racquetball and sex... :cool:

[DeusXM]

Try combining the two. It's even more fun, probably....

[Cyborg]

Where do you put the racquets? :eek:

[Petruchio]

I have been divorced so long that I forgot what racquetball is . . . :rofl:

[Erin]

I don't "exercise" But I walk the 1 mile to work instead of taking the bus, I take the stairs instead of the elevator, I leave the "granny cart" at home when i go grocery shopping (it's good weight training), I do my own laundry.

I noticed the people I know with gym memberships take the bus everywhere, are always waiting for the elevator, have their grocery's delivered, and use some sort of drop off service for their laundry. Perhaps it's a sign of having less money, but I think integrating exercise into your real life is cheaper, and way less boring. (and people are going to say... but i don't have time to do all those things you just listed, and my response is "but you spend a couple of hours at the gym every day!" of course you don't have TIME!)

You could start as simply as parking at the very back of every parking lot.

[duck]

There is something to be said about a society that drives to the gym, LOL.

[Erin]

dude, the last gym i was in had an escalator. COME ON!!!

[Nakki]

Laura, I have found that taking up exercises such as some already mentioned is a great way to change up routines that frequently get old. I took up karate a few months ago and first took it because it looked fun and was great exercise. Some do it for fun, others do it for discipline, some to become martial artists. They never do the exact same routine, and we are always learning new exercises that really help you get a great workout.
I've lost about 20 pounds and am having a blast!

[Lynpenny]

I just change the music I'm listening to and keep on walking. This time of year I use the gym because of my allergies. In the fall I like to walk outside. I gave up home delievery of the newspaper and I walk down in the mornings and get one out of the machine. Sometimes I just walk around the apt. complex. I try to make at least 3 or 4 trips down the stairs here. I live on the third floor. Anything to get my blood moving.

[Ronin]

Lelggren, et al.,

The only way to eliminate the "repetative" nature of exercise is to find something that you enjoy. That can be anything that uses your muscles to the level of areobic activity. Gyms can be miserable places unless you are really into working machines. Even ballroom dancing, if you really work at it, can be a good source of exercise.

So, find an activity that you really love and setup a schedule to do it as often as possible for at least 30 miuntes a day to start. If you really love it, you will find yourself doing it longer just because you like it. And, you will miss the days when you don't. (e.g., Today was both miserable, and over scheduled, so I didn't get to ride my bike and I really miss that.)

[SueM]

By the time I have fed/watered and mucked out 7 horses walked the dog fed the orphan lambs and walked 2 of the horses down to their winter turn out field and then brought them back at dusk, the only exercise I do is crawling into bed each night :sleep:

[Georgia]

I love walking, some may find it a tad boring but I think it's a great form of exercise & it gets you out & about.

[DeusXM]

Another very good way to make exercise more 'interesting' is to make it essential for your day. I live about 4 miles away from where I work, so I cycle to work. Saves me a fortune on petrol and it means I cycle 8 miles a day, five days a week. Also, the rush of endorphines I get after exercising balances out my usually grumpy morning disposition.

It does mean I have to think a bit more about breakfast (halved my bolus since starting) but it's also quite handy because my Lantus dose starts to run down around 5ish (I jab at 6) and so I find cycling back boosts its effectiveness briefly and gives me full coverage.

And you'd be amazed how motivated you suddenly become when you realise you HAVE to exercise or you're never going to get home.

[Lorna]

Listen to an ipod while you exercise

[brandyelf]

I have no idea. This is a question I'm trying to answer myself. I do park as far away as I can, stop at the store almost every morning on my way to work and walk through the whole thing, and try to spend 30 minutes outside while my daughter rides her bike (this is actually exercise, because I'm completely overprotective and run after her the whole time). Adding something formal... I just don't know when I could, honestly! I work full time and am completing my master's degree, and by the time my daughter is in bed (8pm), then it's time to clean, do laundry, clean up from supper... by 9pm, I'm done. I don't know how you all do it. I don't know how I'm going to do it. Maybe I need to look at treadmills and get up a little earlier (earlier than 5:30!??!), or try and find the energy later on... or maybe I need to get into work a little earlier and walk outside for a bit on nice days. Or maybe we need a dog! Lots to think about. :turtle:

The ideas in this thread are interesting, though!

[DeusXM]

Yeah, if you have a full schedule it's tricky. Yours looks particularly demanding too - a lot of people who say they don't have time to exercise somehow manage to fit in a couple of hours of TV but I can't see that in your line-up.

The best I could suggest is that if you have any free time on the weekend you might be able to fit something in, even if it's just a nice walk.

As a thought, do you live near anything like a duck pond or a lake or something? If you've got free time at the weekend, you could take your daughter there every Saturday/Sunday and feed the ducks. You get to walk around a bit, she gets to feed the animals, and you both have something you can share together.

[Mister Q]

dude, the last gym i was in had an escalator. COME ON!!!
At our local gym I watch people park as close to the door as they can get (10 times round the car park past several spaces till one near the door is available) then once parked they take the lift (elevator)!!

To break the boredom I set myself time or distance goals and try and keep to them or beat them, not for everyone I know, when I get bored of that I look round the gym and imagine playing racketball with the ladies (until my wife catches me....he he)

[Cyborg]

Watch TV, I like the morning news...