Bored with cardio? BREAK IT UP

Cardio seems to be a contested topic- you either love it or hate it. Many people complain that the time slowly drags on the machine, which seems to be one of the main reasons people quit and give up so soon.

Recently, I've been playing around with the levels and controls and it definitely has made the time go by faster. I break the hour up into 10min increments, and do the first and last 2 mins of each increment at a higher level. (I often go for longer on the higher level, but this is a great place to start). For example, minutes 0-2 I do on a level 12, then at minute 2 I go down to a level 11 and go as fast as I canuntil I hit minute 8. From minute 8-12 I bump it up to a higher level again. You can increase it even more at minute 13 (ex level 13), then recover (lower resistance, level etc) until you hit the last 2 minutes of the 10 minute interval. This keeps you constantly focused, and breaks the time period down (ie- into 2 min, 6min segments).

Another suggestion I give clients is to always increase the level at the 5 min mark of each 10 min interval or every 5 min (ex min 5, 15, 25 etc), and do a pyramid scheme, starting from lowest level, gradually increasing until you peak at your max, and then decrease until you start the process again. Repeat until your workout is over.
It's fun to push and challenge yourself (see if you can push it out for 1 more minute), and play around with different waves (increasing and decreasing levels in a pattern/segment in a given time period).
Also, don't be afraid to lower the level to the lowest level. A lot of people give up on going because they feel tired, don't feel like it, and feel pressure that they HAVE to do a certain level, time etc. If your legs feel heavy, go at level 1 until you get into the rhythm. Gradually increase, but give yourself permission to keep it low. You will reap the benefits, but most of all psychologically, since you didn't give up. I've had some of my best workouts doing this!

If anyone has any workout routine questions, needs help etc, don't hesitate to ask!
What are your favorite ways to break up cardio boredom?

JOY

"Joy is what happens 
to us when we allow 
ourselves to recognize 
how good things really are. 

Joy is not

necessarily

what happens

when things unfold
according to our plans." 

Marianne Williamson