Cardio can be boring AF. We all know it and many of us dread our cardio sessions or just decide not to do it all together. But in order to reach certain fitness goals as well as keep up with our cardiovascular health, we all should be doing some cardio each and every week.
Here are a few ideas on how to make your cardio session fly by!
1.) Play with intervals. Instead of thinking of your workout as a 30-minute steady state run, think of it as 10 3-minute intervals or 30 1-minute intervals where you change your speed or incline every so often. This will help the time fly by quicker and you’re likely to get a better workout in than if you stayed at the same speed and incline the entire time.
2.) Don’t discount walking. Walking is powerful. If you don’t feel like doing your cardio, just take it easy and go for a quick walk. No one said your cardio sessions have to leave you sweaty and exhausted and last upwards of an hour.
3.) Take it outdoors. This is weather dependant, obviously, and if you live in the midwest like me, you know the good weather days are far and few between. However, being outside in the fresh air is just a mood booster in and of itself, not to mention all the cute doggos you might meet on the street.
4.) Switch it up. If you always choose the elliptical, you’re bound to get bored. Try the stair steppers instead or perhaps the handful of other machines that function very similarly to the elliptical. Are you a runner? Try incline walking instead.
5.) Watch Youtube videos. Youtube is so full of information and motivational content. Use this quality time with yourself as a learning opportunity. What’s something you’ve always wondered about, by never can seem to find the time to look it up? Watch a youtube video on it. Brush up on your long-lost Spanish skills. Personally I like to watch fitness Youtube videos while I do my cardio. My favorite channels are Paige Reilly, Maryana Dvorska, Natasha Oceane, and Whitney Simmons.
6.) Take up listening to a podcast. Whatever you’re already interested in whatever you don’t even know you’re interested in quite yet, there is a podcast about it. For example, I didn’t realize how obsessed with true crime I was until I started listening to My Favorite Murder. Now, three months later, I’ve binged 120+ episodes while doing everyday things like walking to and from work and crushing my cardio at the gym.
7.) Make a bomb playlist. Music is everything. Need I say more? Spotify has so many amazing playlists if you don’t have time to create your own.
8.) Choose equipment in front of a mirror or window. Is there anything more boring than staring at a wall? If you’re in front of a mirror you can watch yourself working hard, which is very motivating.
9.) Don’t stare at the time. Cover up the time with a towel or sweatshirt. There’s nothing more disappointing than feeling like at least 10 minutes must have gone by and then realizing that only 2 minutes have passed.
10.) Daydream. Have you hopped in your car to drive home from the grocery store or were on a long road trip and suddenly you’ve reached your destination, but you don’t quite remember driving there? It’s kind of like that; when you are so deep in thought, dreaming about your goals and dream life, you might glance down at the time and 20 minutes have passed.
11.) View it as quality time to yourself. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, use this time to focus on just yourself for once. Don’t worry about the dirty dishes in the sink or that you haven’t done laundry in 2 weeks. This is your time to mentally escape and work on yourself.