Exercising regularly is a challenge for most of us. Despite being committed to my three day a week exercise program; I found myself yawning while counting my reps or even wanting to fall asleep during my rest between reps on the mat. A quick visit to the doctor allayed my fears about a horrible disease brewing. The diagnosis of him “You get bored when you train.”
I consulted my trainer, who came up with a series of strategies to make my training interesting.
First, I changed my routine. Instead of the 2-mile brisk walk on the treadmill that I’ve been doing for a while, I broke it up into three parts. The television monitor attached to the treadmill was effective in keeping me distracted for 10 minutes.
Second, I started listening to my own selection of music on my iPod, instead of the dream CD that had been playing continuously at the gym. The upbeat music gave me a positive feeling and I found myself walking faster and even running to keep up.
I’ve also found that talking to the people around you distracts you and time goes by faster on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike—routines where you don’t have to count reps.
Instead of doing three sets of 15 reps for each exercise, I did a new routine with one set of each exercise. Three sets of leg raises and sit-ups, back to back, definitely raises the boredom level.
Varying my exercise time also helped. Instead of three days of 60 minute workouts, I went to 30 minutes in six days. The shorter goal was easier to achieve and gave me a positive sense of accomplishment.
If all of these strategies don’t work for you and you still feel bored when you exercise, then you really have to look at why you’re bored. Is it because you don’t like to exercise? Then maybe you need to change where you exercise. Get out of the gym and try jogging in a nearby park. You can change the time when you train. If you are not an early riser, try taking a walk at night.
Completely change the way you exercise by getting involved in some other type of physical activity, like walking or dancing. The options are limitless! Find what works for you.
Find an exercise buddy. Having a friend to train with provides motivation, removes boredom, and gives you someone to get you off the couch on days you don’t want to.
Imagine yourself as the transformed person you will be when you have achieved all your training goals! Ultimately though, workouts will only remain a part of your life if you truly enjoy what you do.
