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Bored with Your Workouts? (March 23, 2010)
By Inshape | March 23, 2010
One excuse that we constantly hear from clients is that they skip their workouts or can’t stick to a program because they get bored. They don’t like doing the same thing day in and day out. Like so many, they start a routine energetically, but after a few weeks, they can’t stay motivated and give up because they just don’t see exercise as a “fun” way to spend their time.
We’re with you on that. No matter who you are: a busy executive, a working mom, an athlete, or a personal trainer, exercise gets stale and boring if you do the same thing every day. It has to include activities that provide you with more than pain and misery. We all need a little fun in our workouts, so while exercise isn’t the “life of the party,” it doesn’t have to be the grumpy stooge either.
Two Sides of the Boredom Issue.? If you find that you are bored during a workout session, then your session is most likely not challenging enough. If it doesn’t keep you stimulated, you’ll definitely fall victim to boredom. If you find yourself dreading the workout (and often skipping it) because you know that you WILL be bored, you aren’t planning your exercise time well and need some new ideas to keep things interesting. Read on for details about how to prevent these issues of boredom and put an end to using this excuse forever.
Fitness facilities started adding televisions to cardio machines for a reason – people were bored staring into space when they were on them. Watching the news while you’re on the bike, for example, was a great idea. People could get their exercise time in and get caught up on their favorite program. But think about how you feel when or if you push yourself. Do you really want to focus on the latest scandal in Washington DC or is it just enough to focus on your breathing and form and get through your workout? Hopefully, you choose the latter, because if you are bored enough to be focused on the TV, your body is probably not getting the workout that it deserves.
How do you find a happy medium? Add short bursts of effort intensity to a cardio machine workout. Most cardio machines have pre-set programs; hill training, interval training, alpine circuit, etc to manage this process for you. But if you’re one of those people who just jump on the machine and press start, it will default to a manual program. This can become a problem because most likely these people end up sticking to the same speed each and every workout. Try to create a program for yourself, it’s pretty simple. Warm up for 5 minutes and then add 30 second to 2 minute alternating intervals of increased speed and intensity (incline for treadmill, increase the level on bike or precor). Intervals will keep you focused on your workouts and you’ll be challenged more, hopefully making your workouts more exciting!
The second part of the boredom issue is a little more complicated. Missing workouts all together because you know that you’ll be bored wreaks havoc on any earnest workout plan. The good news is that fighting boredom takes a little planning but once you discover that there are dozens and dozens of ways to mix up your routine to keep it interesting and fun, you will be converted. Here’s an outline of a week’s worth of activities that you can adopt as a boredom-prevention plan:
Monday - Circuit Train. Pick a cardio exercise, pick 3 lower body exercises, 3 upper body exercises and 2 core exercises. Go from one to the next with no downtime. Use a stopwatch and do 30-60 seconds intervals at each station, then continue on. This will keep your heart rate up and you will not be bored. Repeat the circuit 2-3x. Ex. run 2 minutes, squat, lunge, calf raises (30 sec each) - run 2 minutes - push ups, shoulder press, curls (30 sec each) - run 2 minutes - plank and side planks (30 sec each).
Tuesday - Cardio Challenge. You’ll chose 1 piece of equipment. Start with a 5 minute warm up and then every 2nd- 3rd minute add 30 second sprints. If you are on a treadmill and you’re regular speed is 6.0mph, pump up your sprints to 7.5-8.0mph. You’ll feel invigorated.
Wednesday - Yoga or Mind/Body day. Take a yoga class or just use this workout to focus on breathing and alignment. It’s important to feel the body’s connection.
Thursday - POWER up. This workout is all about strength. Warm up for 10-15 minutes with some light cardio but then move on to pure strength moves. Start with the larger muscle groups and move onto the smaller ones. Work yourself to exhaustion and feel amazing when you’re done. Move quickly from one exercise to the next and change up the moves on a regular basis. Don’t get stuck doing the same exercises every time you do a strength workout.
Friday - Cardio Circuit. Pick 3 cardio exercises and move from one to the next without resting. Perform each 3-5 minutes, then switch. Repeat 3-4x.
The team at inSHAPE is committed to helping you develop and maintain a long-term program of fitness that suits your lifestyle, abilities, and interests. Sign up for free review of your health history and complimentary workout or give us a call (212.362.1001) so that we can help you and your heart stay fit and healthy.
Have a great week and if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please send us a note to info@inshapellc.com, call 212.362.1001, or visit our website at www.inshapellc.com.
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April 1st, 2010 at 4:49 am
[...] Bored with Your Workouts? (March 23, 2010) | InSHAPE blog inshapellc.com/blog/archives/88 – view page – cached * Ask an inSHAPE Trainer - Cardio Burnout? (February 23, 2010) * Weekend Wasteland (February 10, 2010) * 16-degree Run in New York City (January 30, 2010) * The Silent Weight Gain (January 28, 2010) * Bad Back Blues (Jan 19, 2010) * No Excuse Tip of the Week: Contract Your Abs and Sit Up Straight! (Jan 18, 2010) * Trash the New Years Resolutions (Jan 5, 2010) * Ask the inSHAPE Trainer (Dec 16,… Read more* Ask an inSHAPE Trainer - Cardio Burnout? (February 23, 2010) * Weekend Wasteland (February 10, 2010) * 16-degree Run in New York City (January 30, 2010) * The Silent Weight Gain (January 28, 2010) * Bad Back Blues (Jan 19, 2010) * No Excuse Tip of the Week: Contract Your Abs and Sit Up Straight! (Jan 18, 2010) * Trash the New Years Resolutions (Jan 5, 2010) * Ask the inSHAPE Trainer (Dec 16, 2009) View page Filter tweets [...]