Pamela Rosenberg  

Personal Trainer

Gennaro Ferra  

Personal Trainer, Health Coach, & Group Fitness Instructor  

Eric Gallant
Personal Trainer  

Tatiana Abend  

Personal Trainer, Nutritionist,

& Health Coach

Alan Baron

Personal Trainer

Nezih Ulgentay

Personal Trainer

Avoiding Cardio Boredom 

Meredith Stewart Personal Trainer, Health Coach, & Yoga, Pilates, & Group Fitness Instructor

 Here's the thing with cardio...it's necessary because it burns a ton of calories at once, it revs up your metabolism and it keeps your heart and lungs functioning at their highest (and healthiest) capacities. You simply gotta do it! And the best thing is, any type of cardio will do.  Find what you like and go for it!

Once you find something you like and can maintain it for at least 30 minutes, sometimes boredom can set in.  So here's some ideas to keep boredom at bay and keep your heart rate soaring in the best way.

Mix it up

Never do the same workout two days in a row.  If you walked outside yesterday, spend some quality time with the EFX today. Or, take a class. We, as innately competitive human beings, almost always perform better in a class setting where a teacher is motivating us.  Try Kickboxing or Zumba to spice things up.

Intervals

This is my favorite way to get a new workout, even on the same machine. Divide your workout time into intervals - say a 30 minute workout contains a 5 minute warm up, a 5 minute cool down, and 20 minutes that you divide into 4 intervals of 5 minutes each.  During that 5 minute interval, spend each minute doing something different. For example, if you warm up on the treadmill at 3.5 mph and a flat level, take Minute 1 to push your speed to 4.0, then jog Minute 2 at 6.0. Minute 3 can be walking at 4.0 again, adding a substantial incline to Minute 4, then finishing the first interval with another jog on a flat level at 6.0. Then repeat the whole interval 3 more times.  Your heart rate will experience more variety, taking you to your anaerobic threshold, challenging your lungs and doing more good overall.

Think outside the gym

Think about adding something to your normal regimen like a weekly swim or buying a hula hoop to get in a few minutes of card before you heard out inth morning, or while you watch commercials during prime time tv.  Accumulated minutes of cardio can make a difference to your weekly goals.

Hope this helps! Now get out there and get moving...4-5 days a week and for 30-50 minutes each session!