There's no escaping the gradual creep of boredom that sets in during a long cardio routine. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's inevitable that you'll have to strap on your running shoes and tough it out.
Fortunately, cardio workouts don't have to be boring. If you're just getting into fitness and finding yourself stuck repeating the same cardio workouts, you need to mix things up. Below, we've rounded up some tips for making cardio less boring at home.
How to Make Cardio Workouts Less Boring
(1) Create a Cardio Workout Playlist
One of the easiest changes you can introduce to your cardio routine is to create your own personalised playlist. There's a reason that so many people turn to their headphones when hitting the treadmill or exercise bike. Listening to music will distract you from the repetitive motions that are typical with cardio exercise, giving you something else to focus on.
Some studies have even linked music to increased exercise performance, reduced onset of fatigue and overall increases in endurance, power and strength. This is a tip that you can carry over into your weight training workout.
Try our upbeat Treadmill Workout playlist on Spotify.
(2) Binge a TV Series
We've all experienced days where we'd rather crash out on the sofa and binge Netflix than workout. Fortunately, you don't have to choose between one or the other. It's typical to see people in the gym watching a TV series or movie on their phones while working out. But the benefit of cardio training at home is that you can perform your workouts in front of your TV or stream on your phone.
In fact, you can extend this to pretty much any online video. Interested in picking up a new skill through online training? Or maybe you've always wanted to pick up a second language? When it's time to start your cardio routine, fire up YouTube or another app on your smart TV and start moving.
(3) Combine Your Workout Routine with Work
With the explosion in working from home, it's possible to combine your cardio workouts with your nine-to-five job. If you have space for a standing desk, consider installing a treadmill that fits beneath it, allowing you to get your steps in while you work. You can also pick up freestanding cycling pedals that are perfect if you're desk-bound. Since you've got to spend time at your desk anyway, you might as well be losing weight while you do it.
(4) Try Interactive Outdoor Workouts
Trying to lose weight from home can be difficult. Sooner or later, you'll probably get tired of the same four walls when completing your cardio workouts. However, this is a problem that you can solve with interactive outdoor workout technology.
With these apps, you can bring the outdoors inside and stream a virtual workout to your mobile device or even your TV screen. Run alongside a babbling river or cycle through a forest without ever leaving your home gym.
(5) Incorporate Interval Training
You may have heard about interval training or HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts before. These workouts involve shorter, more intense periods of activity, such as sprinting on a treadmill or pumping your legs on an exercise bike. These are followed by slower periods of recovery, where you bring the pace right down.
Breaking up your routine into intervals means that you need to pay more attention to what you're doing. When you have to keep an eye on the clock, you'll spend less time thinking about how long you've got left. What's more, studies have shown links between HIIT training and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
(6) Mix Up Your Cardio Sessions
Whether you're new to weight loss or have been working out for a while, it's easy to fall into the same routine and this leads to boredom. Thinking of cardio exercise in a negative light, and then dreading it when it arrives, is a very easy mindset to get into. So, try mixing things up and introducing new exercises to hit your fitness goals.
If you're working out at home, you might have a treadmill, stationary exercise bike or elliptical trainer. However, there are other cardio exercises you can try too. These include jump rope, boxing or kickboxing and callisthenics, which relies on nothing but your own body weight.
(7) Introduce Strength Training in Your Routine
There’s more to working out than simply repeating the same cardio routines. While cardio will help you to lose fat, most cardiovascular exercises won't do much to help you build muscle mass. And while you might not be interested in bulking up, increasing your muscle mass can help you to burn more calories in the long run.
Strength training is also key to adding lean muscle mass and increasing bone density to help us stay strong as we age.
An excellent site you should bookmark is ExRx.net - the exercise directory and weight training pages are invaluable for identifying target muscles and demonstrating correct form. You can get started with a set of dumbbells and a weight bench, and incorporating weight lifting into your usual cardio workout.
Be Sure to Change Things Up
stronger in the long run, helping to reduce your risk of heart disease, besides other benefits. However, to avoid becoming bored and potentially losing focus, you really need to move out of your comfort zone and change up your routine.
You could switch to high intensity interval training, introduce new exercises, or use tech to make your workouts more interesting. The important thing is to elevate your heart rate while making sure your cardio workouts remain enjoyable.
Keen to get started with a more exciting cardio routine? Our friendly team of fitness experts can help you with the right advice. Call 1300 13 42 13 or email us today.
