Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, we get the affiliate commission from the supplier at no extra cost to you. These business relationships allow us to continue bringing you great EatMoveHack content. All opinions remain our own.
When you get bored with your workout routine, you may want to do anything to make it all stop. Considering exercise is so important to maintaining good health, it’s important that you find a way to get back to enjoying it – or at least make it tolerable.
Thankfully, it’s not hard to fight boredom, whether you’re working out at the gym, running on the treadmill at home, or active outdoors. The secret is in distraction — use our tips below to keep your mind focused elsewhere so you can get your work done.
Make the exercise less boring now
Wish you were one of those people who absolutely love exercise? We’re not sure we can promise that, but we can help teach you how to mix things up so exercise doesn’t feel so boring that it sucks your life out.
1. Set clear goals
Setting goals while exercising is a smart way to beat boredom. Goals give you something to work towards and establish clear start and end times for your workout routine so you don’t feel as though it lasts forever.
Before you can set realistic goals, you must establish baselines. Invest in a pedometer or a fitness watch is an easy way to see how many steps you’re taking, how long you’re working out, and how many calories you’re burning. Use this information (and your new technology) to make sure you hit your goals every day.
2. Challenge yourself
While reaching goals can be rewarding, you’ll soon find that you don’t have to put in the effort of walking as far or lifting as much. This is because the more you train, the more endurance you build.
To deliver that wonderful sense of accomplishment and beat your workout, you’ll need to challenge yourself – above and beyond!
However, don’t let the idea of challenging yourself make you nervous. Depending on your skill level, it might be possible to hit your goal of an extra 1,000 steps per day or a longer workout of just 15 minutes.
Trust us, you won’t get bored when you’re too busy focusing on doing 5 more reps in your weightlifting or adding a few minutes into your cardio routine.
3. And then reward yourself
Need a little motivation to hit those new goals? Reward yourself with exciting rewards when you hit a milestone!
While it can be tempting to turn to food to get the job done, resist that temptation, especially if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain it.
Instead, choose prizes or activities that you enjoy but don’t participate in as much as you’d like. Some good examples include soaking in a luxurious bubble bath, picking up a new book, or spending an afternoon at an arcade, movie, or zoo.
4. Multitasking
For some people, workout boredom starts to appear because they’re focusing too much on other things they need to get done. If you’re busy with work, planning a party, or learning a new skill, your mind may start to spin while you’re lifting weights or hitting a punch bag.
If this sounds like you, try multitasking. You’ll get more done, and you’ll be too distracted to get bored. Of course, multitasking may seem easier said than done with some types of exercise routine, but it’s entirely possible for others.
For example, it’s easy to review meeting notes and watch cooking videos when you’re on the treadmill and hands-free. If you’re doing endurance training, yoga, or running outdoors, you can learn a new language or listen to an online course by wearing a pair of headphones and a smartphone.
5. Working with others
Sometimes, you may just need a friend to help keep you motivated and beat workout boredom. If you find yourself alone when exercising, find an exercise buddy or meet some friends for group exercise.
If meeting other people physically isn’t possible, turn to technology. You can use video chat for virtual workouts with a friend or partner, or you can use gambling apps that record your progress to challenge your friends to beat you.
Of course, if you have a hairy four-legged friend, don’t hesitate to make them your workout buddy – trust us, they’ll love you even more for it. Take them for a run, chase them around the park or jump into the pool for a lap swim.
6. Engage your other senses
Doing the same thing day in and day out is a surefire way to tire your brain out and make it bad for work. However, sometimes you can’t avoid certain workout routines because you may be focusing on specific muscle groups or lack the equipment to do otherwise.
When you find yourself in this situation, you can engage the mind by engaging the other senses. Think about it: When you’re multitasking, your brain has to work harder to keep track of what’s going on.
During your workout, find ways to activate your taste, smell, and hearing. Simple ideas include chewing gum, lighting candles, and playing music. As you practice, you will find that your mind naturally wanders, and before you have time to get bored with the exercise or the sensory stimuli, your training will be over. .
7. Change up your exercise routine
Sometimes, you may find that you really want to stick with a particular workout routine, even though it feels boring. This could be because you spent money on the device or you like the results you get.
In this case, you can cure your workout boredom and make it fun again by varying the intensity of your workout. One way to do this is simply to go harder, longer, or faster when doing endurance training, using the elliptical, or running.
Another idea is to try high-intensity interval training (HIIT). With HIIT workouts, you alternate between bursts of intense exercise and rest. The most common HIIT intervals are 30 seconds of activity and 30 seconds of rest.
You can do almost any type of exercise during your HIIT interval, so it’s a great way to change things up whether you like lifting weights or doing cardio. And because you’re working so hard, your mind won’t have time to think about being bored.
8. Try a change of scenery
Other times, all you need to get out of the gym is shake things up. You can continue to do the same workout routines if you want, but try doing them somewhere else.
This can be as simple as exercising on the patio instead of in the living room or as dramatic as finding a brand new gym to visit.
If you exercise outdoors, try taking a different route when jogging or going to a new park for yoga or aerobics.
Don’t want to find a new gym or leave the comfort of your home but still want a less boring workout? You can change the scene by buying new equipment, trying out different weightlifting exercises, or taking group classes (in person or online) to make new friends.
End
Regular exercise is essential to good health, but it can be difficult to stay motivated when your brain is begging you to do something more enjoyable. All of the tips above are great ways to find the extra motivation you need to get through your workouts, and we believe they will help.
Looking for new and different ways to exercise? See our guide to unique workouts for serious muscle gain for ideas on how to switch things up.
Related
