I think everyone can agree that walking on the treadmill (or using an elliptical trainer or recumbent bicycle) can be boring. After all, you are basically going nowhere. And the view can be pretty mundane, unless you are exercising next to a friend and can talk to each other.
So when my doctor told me I needed to step up my cardio exercise routine to eight days a week, I kind of freaked. I mean, it is so boring. He told me I need to do cardio exercise between 30 and 75 minutes a day.
Fortunately, that evening I was at a dinner party with a few friends. I was lamenting my newest assignment from my doctor. It must have been evident that I was trying to sort things out.
Thank goodness, my longtime friend Sue Parks was at the dinner. She pulled me aside and reminded me that she started the company WalkStyles, which offers integrated wellness programs to busy people who work for corporations.
Sue told me, “Don’t think of your doctor’s edict that you work out every day as a death sentence. Think of ways to make it fun!” I said, “Fun?” She recommended I get my iPad (I found it buried inside my home office desk) and download Netflix. (I have subscribed to Netflix for years, but honestly had never watched anything.)
She said to find a show or two or three that I like, then make my visit to the gym an opportunity to watch one or two shows from my favorite series.
OMG—I think I hit the jackpot with Sue’s suggestion.
I had already found a new, clean, modern gym at the beginning of January. Like many people, I find the fitness chains too crowded and not especially appealing. My new gym, Olympix in Long Beach, is right on the beach, which will be great in the warmer months. A large variety of equipment and plenty of open space sold me on it. Also, everyone working out there is serious, meaning they’re not sitting idly on the equipment texting or reading their emails.
So, the day after my doctor appointment, I took my iPad, along with my new wireless Apple AirPods (that offer incredible sound quality!) to the gym, opened Netflix and started watching shows. So far, I’ve watched “The Office,” “Grace and Frankie,” “Tidying Up” with Marie Kondo and “Parks and Recreation.”
Apple AirPods in their case, charging.
Sometimes I literally lose track of time. And even when I have a late night at work (after 6 p.m.), I actually look forward to my 15-minute drive to the gym to hop on the treadmill and watch the next show in my queue.
I never realized how the workout venue, its location and how crowded it is can affect how motivated I am to work out. Picking a brand-new gym, having a purpose (my doctor’s order) and some entertainment have actually made my workouts enjoyable.
And the benefits are showing. I’m sleeping better, losing a little weight and feeling less stress.
I would love to hear what motivates you to get your workout done!
Karen