How to Enjoy Cardio (a little more)
It’s no secret that cardio is boring. You think it’s boring, I think it’s boring, most people think it’s boring. And why is that? Well do anything the same way for 10, 30, or even 60 minutes and you’ll get bored. But with a few modifications to the way you approach cardio it can become much less of a slog.
The first step is to choose what kind of cardio you want to do. Typically we’re looking for anything that elevates your heart rate and keeps it elevated for the duration of the activity (for a healthy adult we’re usually aiming for between 125 and 165 bpm). Most people gravitate towards treadmills, elliptical, and recumbent bikes when they think of cardio, and these are all fine! (I’m partial to the elliptical myself - more on that in another post). However, there are other ways to break a sweat (such as dancing, kayaking, running outside, etc.). It’s good to try lots of different forms of exercise because when one inevitably starts feeling stale you can switch to another for a while.
The second step is to boost your cardio with a secondary activity. Most of us aren’t doing cardio to train for a sport or competition and therefore we’re less concerned about shaving a few seconds off our sprint time and more-so about just getting it done. Because we don’t have to pay too much mental attention towards what the body is doing our minds are free to do other things. If you’re someone that really hates cardio then your best bet is to pair it with something you really enjoy - perhaps your favourite Netflix show, audiobook, or podcast. On the other hand, if you don’t struggle to start cardio but just find it boring you can try to pair something more productive with it (e.g. LinkedIn Learning, TED Talks, language learning apps, flashcards on your smartphone etc.). By pairing a productive activity with your cardio (especially one you needed to do anyways) you kill two birds with one stone and prevent the nagging feeling that you could be doing something better with your time (a feeling that us busy folks are all too familiar with!). You can also do a blend of the two approaches by finding something that is both entertaining and productive to you (e.g. if you’re the type of person that likes to listen to new albums in their entirety as the only proper way to experience them then why not get that done during a run?).
The third step is to prepare for your cardio as a way to set your intentions. If you do cardio first thing in the morning it’s probably best to have everything ready to go the night before so you’re not grumbling to yourself as you try to get ready. Also if you’re the type of person that likes to enjoy media while you exercise it’s a good idea to preload your phone or tablet with whatever you plan to watch or listen to. Not just to avoid annoying wifi/data issues but more importantly as a way to set your intention to exercise and to give you something to look forward to.
The fourth and final step is to trust in the power of endorphins. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve likely heard about the “runner’s high” that occurs when people engage in vigorous exercise for about 20 minutes or longer. It’s because of this rush of endorphins that virtually nobody finishes a cardio session and says “wow, what a waste of time!” It just doesn’t happen. Even individuals that started their workout grumpy and pessimistic typically finish with at least a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. And if you do it enough times you might just get addicted to that feeling and want to go again. And again.
Ultimately it’s up to you to figure out what you like and don’t like with your cardio and it might take some trial and error to figure that out. But once you do have it sorted you might find it becomes one of the most enjoyable parts of your routine.