Anyone hate cardio?
 

I have built up to 30 mins elliptical or 30 mins stair master but I hate doing it!!! I have a mp3 player and will take a book to read while Im on the stair master which will help me get through it but I cant read on the elliptical due to bouncing so much. Any one else hate cardio? Ideas on how to get through it?? I try to do classes at least 2-3 times a week so that will help with my cardio but lately I have to rush to the gym to work out 30 mins before rushing back to get my daughter from daycare cuz my dh is working late, so I dont have time for classes right now.

I also am not a fan of cardio, but after a year of consistently going to the gym, I'm at a point where I can at least tolerate it (I do 30 minutes at a time as well). I read books as a way to distract myself from how much I hate what I'm doing to my body. I still get people coming up to me at the gym saying, "I can't believe you read real books." I can't help thinking: as opposed to the fake ones? :p (I know what they mean, of course)

Anyway, you can adjust to the bouncing; I still sometimes read the same line a couple times, but it's not a huge deal. I love to read (it's been one of my post-college goals to do more fun reading) and going to the gym for cardio provides me with about 5 hours of reading per week. Not all my reading has been at the gym, but in the past year and a half, I've read 24 novels. I find it's easiest to read on a stationary bike; no bouncing there.

Aside from that, I've seen other people listen to music, "read" magazines, and my gym has television sets and you can plug your own headphones into your machine to listen to the tv. I also have a few workout dvds. Maybe you could get some so you can work out at home and still keep an eye on your daughter; maybe a video similar to one of your classes?

Whatever you do, if you're at all like me, cardio will never seem pleasant, but the most important thing is that you just keep up with it. It's definitely worth it when you see the results. And Wow! I just looked at your ticker and you've made incredible progress already! That's something to definitely be proud of. If you've made it this far, I'm sure you'll figure out a way to make working out tolerable enough to meet your goals. Best of luck to you! :)

WHen I absolutely have to read something on the elliptical I will take a large magazine like a tabloid so its easier to read. I have workout videos at home but my DD is 3 and thinks its ok to sit in my lap while Im working out or lay on me.

THanks for the input, I really just started exercising a few months ago with a weight loss contest I'm in. We have the tv's at the gym but you cant hear them only read the captions.

Do your feet go to sleep after awhile on the elliptical?

Mine used to do that. Wiggle your toes every now and again, and every few minutes kinda pick your feet up and put them back down on the foot things. Don't wait till they get that sleepy feeling either- start right away and then you will be much better off.

Here's another suggestion for those of you who love to read...try audio books. They took a little getting used to for me, since I have always loved to read and find listening to books a bit odd, but now I love them. No worries about reading the same line twice or the bouncing. And if you have to, you can just rewind a bit if you missed something.

You can buy them but I've always found something for free through the public library (rent the CD's, copy them to your computer and download to your MP3/Ipod) or the same sites that offer free music, often have books if you look around.

:D

The classes are the only thing I can tolerate at this point unless I have a clean plan with my own workout. I just find the classes far more motivating and encouraging. I do them all to keep myself from getting bored. Maybe in the nicer weather you might like to try things outside like running with music? It beats the gym and its nice to be going somewhere rather than running on the treadmill I think.

I hate cardio. Period. I hate that it's boring, I hate that it's not fun, I hate that it makes me breath hard, and I HATE sweating.

Then again, I hate being flabby, I hate sweating more than others even when I'm not working out, I hate that roll of fat that hangs over the top of my pants, and I HATE being obese. And so, I try to do my cardio anyway.

I don't have any exercise equipment in my home, nor am I willing to pay for a gym membership. I just do workout DVDs in my living room. Without having to travel to do my exercise, it seems to take less time, if that makes sense. I also don't have to worry about how I look or how much I sweat or anything like that since no one will see me.

One thing my sister does on her treadmill at home is watches DVDs--particularly tv show seasons on DVD. She knows an episode of Gilmore Girls on DVD is about 43 minutes long, so if she works out through an entire episode, she's gotten in her cardio for the day plus watched something she would have otherwise watched anyway while sitting on the couch. I can't wait to move into a bigger place so I can hopefully get an elliptical for home and be able to watch tv while doing it--I really think it would help. It would be more like I'm exercising while watching my shows, not the other way around, ya know? Like I'd watch them anyway, just would have been sitting on my big butt on the couch. It's like a more efficient means of fitting everything you want to do into your schedule by overlapping your exercise with your tv time. But enough babbling--I'm sure that doesn't help at all if you don't have exercise equipment at home :dizzy:

If I had the room I would love to have an elliptical in my home for that very same reason. Currently I try to multitask like folding/putting up laundry while watching tv. I watch a movie every night so Im already laying down for 2 hours to watch it. My house is only 1000 SF but hopefully when we turn the carport into another room I will be able to do something like that.

I guess I could get rid of my couch and make some room, but then again we really need another dining room table. We have got to stop eating in front of the TV at nite.

I don't mind cardio as long as the routine is varied enough (though I will do the occasional jog, in tune to my fast-paced & highly-varied playlist on the MP3 player). And as much as I hate the sweating & heavy breathing & the dehydration, I keep reminding myself that I'm burning butter off my body! :)

I also hate it. I try to go when something is on TV, and since I go at night there's usually something... I love Forensic Files, it's always on! I reason that I'd be collapsed on the couch watching tv anyway, I might as well do it while I do something decent. Then I listen to music at the commercials. Switching it up like that seems to make it go a *little* faster. And sometimes if I'm really dragging I'll change machines every 20 minutes so it doesn't seem so dooming.

I used to hate cardio too...I guess I just had to suck it up and do it - hence getting used to it.

I cant get through a workout without music - so thats my best advice for it. Get a playlist you love and hit "shuffle" and be sure to add to it periodically so you dont get bored with the music too! :)

And KEEP GOING! :D

Jilly, I read your first paragraph and thought YEAH, ME TOO! Then your second paragraph made me realize that I hate those things too and I need to exercise as well.

I also refuse to spend a lot of money on exercise equipment or gym memberships. Maybe someday when my non-gym exercise isn't providing enough of a challenge, I might consider stepping it up and going to a gym or something.

I got a (free) exercise bike that sits in my living room and holds clothes that need to be ironed. I suppose I should hop on it every day for a half hour. It really wouldn't kill me.

I wonder if people ever learn to like cardio?

I used to hate cardio. I am up to about 35 minutes on the elliptical but when I first started a month ago, I couldn't go 5 minutes without feeling like I was about to die. BUT I love the feeling I get from the intense workout and that I am losing weight!

I have an ipod and have a playlist for my workout, but I would really like it if my gym had a TV that I could watch. The hardest part, for me, is not watching the time. If I constantly watch the time, it seems like it takes forever. I have gone as far as taking a magazine each time and covering up the time on the elliptical machine.

I have been considering getting one of those ipods that you can watch movies or TV shows on... I think that would help pass the time immensly.

I actually love cardio, because I love how my body feels during and after I work out.

My favorite cardio is on the treadmill, and I usually watch Headline News during my cardio so I learn something about the world while I'm being good to my body.

I also like cardio DVDs, though I'm usually contemplating quitting about halfway through. I've only actually quit once though!

My best advice would be to try many forms of cardio and many different devices to pass the time -- television, magazines, music, etc. You'll find something that works. :)

On the other hand, I HATE eating well. :mad:

LOL, I wish we lived in a reverse world where all ice cream, chocolate, cookies, pizza, etc was good for us and everything that is healthy would be bad for our bodies. Of course if that happened we would all be sneaking carrot sticks and hiding the apples/bannanas/grapes in our closets and binging on them. What a thought!:D

Yes, you CAN learn to love cardio! I used to HATE it. HATE. As in, it was torture. Once, someone dragged me to the gym and I cried, true story.

Fast forward a year, doing my cardio 6 times a week, and you know what? I look FORWARD to it and throw in "bonus" workouts, which are basically extra cardio workouts I do beyond what I've planned. Cardio time is one of my favorite times of day - I have learned to embrace my sweatiness (and boy, do I sweat...more than most, I think), learned to love the slight muscle burning, all of it. I also love the effects - the extra energy, the lowered stress and anxiety levels, the improved physical fitness and improved mental health, and the extra weight loss. So YES, you can learn to love it!

I havent cried but felt close to it the other day, turns out it was almost that "TIME OF THE MONTH". I went last nite and worked out 3 hours and guess how much was cardio!!!!!! 2 hrs and 15 mins, :carrot: YAAAAAAAAAAAA It wasnt 2 hours straight on the equipment but a salsa dancing class and belly dancing, still defientely makes you sweat. I feel pretty good today and have finally lost that weight I gained on that 3-day 10lb binge from last weekend. :devil:

I actually like cardio. I like it when I'm really tired after jogging. I just hate it when my legs itch so much.

I'm a big talker so I go with my girlfriend and we yack it up (through gasping for air) and the time flies. If I am a lone I watch TV, but we are able to hear with our headsets. Try to focus on how wonderful what you are doing is for your body!

And I get the sleepy toes too!

I've never been an active person, even as a child, and through high school, I used my "women's problems" to get out of exercise any time ;) but I think the problem was not doing things I enjoyed. I love to dance. Absolutely can dance (like freestyle in a club) for hours on end, and if I don't have the opportunity to dance, I do aerobics, which for me is the same kinda thing - moving to the beat of the music. I have a whole heap of DVDs at home that I do whenever I get the chance.

I HATE walking and jogging!! Oh dear Lord, it's torture. It doesn't matter if it's on a treadmill or outdoors, I can't think of anything more boring. Also, I don't care much for being outside so I don't miss all that "getting back to nature". Wow, that sounds cold, but ya know what I mean? :) Does anybody else find it more difficult to run without losing breath, than to do bouncing type activities like aerobics? I can't jog for more than a couple of minutes without feeling like I'm dying, but I can do a 50 minute aerobic workout quite happily.. it's weird..

I agree completely. I've gotten used to the physical strain of cardio, but the boredom is what gets me. I'm thinking that when I have enough money, I might upgrade my Ipod to a video one and put movies and TV shows on it to entertain me while I exercise, because music just isn't enough sometimes.

I'm one who loves it, but on the right machines. I love the elliptical and the treadmill. Hate the rower with a passion that is holy. Not a huge fan of the bike. I'm planning to add a Cycle class once a week for the bike though.

I just wish I could do 45 min on treadmill and elliptical, but until I can work up on the elliptical I'm screwed :(

I can run for hours (literally - I've done a half marathon) but couldn't do an aerobic dvd if you paid me. Torture for me, but I thinks its because I have the co-ordination of a baby giraffe :D

I like cardio... but I need variety... just the "dreadmill" or the elliptical are boring for me, I like classes

I get soooooo booorrrreed doing cardio. I do the eliptical for 25 mins and bike or tread for 15 -20 and honestly i can hardly stand it.
My gym has TV's but at 6am the morning news just doesn't cut it.
I actually tried reading a book this morning and it helped. but ugh... i guess that's the price of getting rid of the fat!

I hate HATE the gym. But I love to run outside!

Haha - this is me too! Never been able to do any aerobics classes or dvds without looking like a fool

I like doing the elliptical, as much as a person could like doing such a thing, and usually hang on for about an hour, but sometimes I do get very bored, and look for any excuse to get off (yesterday:Oh, I think I feel the beginnings of a blister! Best get off!). I've been toying with the idea of getting an audio book, but I think that when I listen to music (as I am doing now), the beat helps me stay motivated and going faster than a snail's pace. Maybe if I liked the treadmill better, I'd listen to the audio books then. Does anyone find that they have a hard time going at a good pace if they aren't listening to music?

So worth the money! You have to be careful with them because they have a hard drive (no running with them, for example), but it's so much easier when I can prop it up on the elliptical and I can measure my workout by the length of a Scrubs episode.

Maybe it would help to mix it up a bit with some DVDs. I do Turbo Jam, HipHopAbs, cardio circuits with Karen Voight, and I also walk with Leslie (WATP). Because I mix THOSE up with work on my exercise ball and yoga and Pilates, I never am bored.

I would not choose to use a gym because I would feel too intimidated by people watching me.

My future daughter-in-law is training for her first ULTRA this summer (100 mile race). Even SHE gets tired of running! Sometimes she does Turbo Jam or other DVDs with me. I have her doing yoga, too. She enjoys the change of pace which helps energize her for her continuing daily runs.

Maybe you just need to look for some FUN in your cardio workouts! As I do my HipHopAbs with Shaun T., I actually giggle as I'm dancing! I'm sweating bullets, too!

Finn, the mental image is just priceless!!:rofl: I envy your efforts in marathon running. I'd love to have that endurance. My goal is to be a singer, and I want to be fit enough to dance onstage and NOT lip-synch :D