Making Cross Training Less Boring

[Gidds]

I need some ideas to make cross training less boring. I haven't been in the water since the second week of January or so because a.) it is cold here (yes I know "cold" is a relative term for this area, but it's cold to me) and b.) this is a busy time at work.

Since last September I have been doing a combination of walking, biking, and some running. I also do low weight-high rep. weight training sometimes but I have to be careful about exacerbating an old injury. For the same reason I can only run (intervals) maybe once or twice a week. On top of that I do yoga in the evening a couple times a week, ride my stationary recumbike for 20-60 minutes, and now I have one of those fitness balls that I use to work on the aforementioned old injury(ies) and core strength.

I do all that 5-6 days a week unless I am sick or something. I have an ipod and sometimes I watch movies while on the recumbike but all-in-all it's getting boring. Any ideas on how to spice things up?

 

[Dennis77]

Which type of iPod do you own? Perhaps the Nike + Running Kit is something for you. I´ve own an iPod Nano 2nd Generation and the Nike Kit. It´s fun. You can get special workout-"songs" at the iTunes-Store. Even interval-workouts are available. I don´t know if I would run the much I do, if I wouldn´t own the kit. For me running isn´t fun all the time. Most of the time it´s boring, and I only do it because of the fitness and my bones. But with this kit it´s quite ok.
And you don´t need special shoes. I´m using Asics. The sensor of the kit is stored in a small bag, which is attached to the laces of the shoe. Works exactly the same as if I would use a Nike+ shoe.

 

[uw_ikarus]

Outdoor exercise helps me a lot, biking for instance, discovering new roads and places. Sometimes I bring my camera along shooting some picture during a rest after an uphill track...

 

[James T]

Thrown in a couple of classes a week - spinning, body pump or circuits - same bang for your buck but more fun with other people...

 

[Erik]

Stop for a week. I train, and sometimes you need a week off to regenerate physically and mentally.
Take a week or so and do nothing,... read, whatever. You'll be enthusiastic and willing.

 

[Stephanos]

Stop for a week. I train, and sometimes you need a week off to regenerate physically and mentally.
Take a week or so and do nothing,... read, whatever. You'll be enthusiastic and willing.

I agree. After 8 straight months in the gym i decided to take some time off to let my body get some rest. It's been two weeks now and i feel rested and i have the urge to return to the gym !!!! Spend some you-time. It'll make you feel a lot better.

 

[Gidds]

Thanks for all the good ideas. I changed things around a little bit by alternating biking one week and walking the next and using the recumbike for bad weather. I also added kayaking because lifting weights is about the most boring thing I can imagine. Whereas hauling my body weight, plus 40lbs of kayak, with my arms across the surface of the lake on nice mornings is immensely more entertaining and good cardio besides.

 

[Mr. X]

Stop for a week. I train, and sometimes you need a week off to regenerate physically and mentally.
Take a week or so and do nothing,... read, whatever. You'll be enthusiastic and willing.

Good point, resting is at least as important as exercising. Read an article once by Mark Allen the x-time Hawaiian Iron Man Champion. His big thing is "listen to your body" - which really resonated with me. I used to over exercise in my early 20s - 6 times Mon/Tues/Wed (weights/swimming/circuit training) plus alternate Thurdays evenings, plus 2 days rocking climbing trad. routes alternate weekends, plus the regular runs & casual cycling. I was probably doing more damage than good. My muscles ached all the time. In hindsight, alternate days would have been more sensible, with a rest day after the climbing weekends.

Sometimes its hard to resist peer pressure, especially when trying to improve performance & wanting to push it. But you need to be able to give your body a chance to recover too. With cross-training (like triathlon), you can rest your upper body by cycling, or rest your legs by swimming -- occasionally you just need to rest everything though. Sleep. Recover.

As to making cross training less boring. Two suggestions: First, variety is the spice of life - particular with training. Try new things. Changing activities forces your muscles work in new ways, which is always harder (just got back into gardening today and, along with some logging, I now have all kinds of aches). Second suggestion is to find activities that feel more like playing rather than hard work. Things like mountain biking in late fall/winter, skiing (downhill & esp. cross-country) or snow shoeing if you're in snowy climes, in-line skating / wheeled cross country ski (ever watched the Dog Whisperer?), sledging, cycling with a the kids in a trailer/etc, rock climbing (in door or outdoor), scrambling, mountain/hill/countryside/beach walks, orienteering, adventure playgrounds -- the Swiss & Germans have walks with exercise stations which can be great fun, have seen them (not as good) in America too, near Seattle. Circuit training with friends can be fun, octopush?, if you like ball sports 5-a-side soccer/basket ball/road hockey? Frisbee, dog walking. SOT kayaking. Spear fishing of course.