pjmrsunshine
New member
Hey everybody
My problem is simple, but the background of the issue requires more explanation. Simply put, I'm trying to make my 75 minute cycling sessions at the gym a bit more bearable. It's not that it's too tough, it's that it's torturing me with how dull it is.
To give my background, I'm not that into physical exercise. I know it's good for me, makes me healthier, but I don't get the usual immediate satisfaction because I don't get the endorphin rush most people seem to get. I don't know, people talk about feeling so good and relaxed after exercise, but all I feel is tired. Not good in the least. So I've had to motivate myself to do physical exercise with other means. My main exercise comes from practicing martial arts, where my motivation comes from the fact that it's interesting and trying to perfect techniques gives me an internal focus, a personal goal, to work towards.
Until recently I was doing traditional karate and was doing on average 2h twice a week. Now I've changed styles and with this group all we get is one 2h session per week and it's not that intense. So I decided to take up something else to complement my training regimen. I decided to head to the gym and put in 75min on the stationary bicycle. It's not very tough, but it's good exercise and I can always increase it past 75min. But right not my only problem is that I have to really force myself to keep at it for the allotted time, because it's mind-bogglingly dull. I've been listening to my iPod, which helps a little bit.
What I want here is any tips, ideas you people can share to help me motivate myself, better orient myself towards or just plain put up with this mindless exercise. I know the problem is purely inside my head, so I'm asking for help with that.
Here are a few things that people might suggest that I know won't help me:
1. Spend this time thinking! Yeah, doesn't help. I'm already doing it. I think about everything, more or less all of the time. I don't need a particular "thinking time".
2. Set yourself a goal! I already have a goal, currently that 75min set. That's not the problem.
3. Man up! Stop whining! That's not actual help. And as I said, the problem isn't that it's too tough.
So again, any ideas to help me make cycling more "fun". Thanks in advance.
My problem is simple, but the background of the issue requires more explanation. Simply put, I'm trying to make my 75 minute cycling sessions at the gym a bit more bearable. It's not that it's too tough, it's that it's torturing me with how dull it is.
To give my background, I'm not that into physical exercise. I know it's good for me, makes me healthier, but I don't get the usual immediate satisfaction because I don't get the endorphin rush most people seem to get. I don't know, people talk about feeling so good and relaxed after exercise, but all I feel is tired. Not good in the least. So I've had to motivate myself to do physical exercise with other means. My main exercise comes from practicing martial arts, where my motivation comes from the fact that it's interesting and trying to perfect techniques gives me an internal focus, a personal goal, to work towards.
Until recently I was doing traditional karate and was doing on average 2h twice a week. Now I've changed styles and with this group all we get is one 2h session per week and it's not that intense. So I decided to take up something else to complement my training regimen. I decided to head to the gym and put in 75min on the stationary bicycle. It's not very tough, but it's good exercise and I can always increase it past 75min. But right not my only problem is that I have to really force myself to keep at it for the allotted time, because it's mind-bogglingly dull. I've been listening to my iPod, which helps a little bit.
What I want here is any tips, ideas you people can share to help me motivate myself, better orient myself towards or just plain put up with this mindless exercise. I know the problem is purely inside my head, so I'm asking for help with that.
Here are a few things that people might suggest that I know won't help me:
1. Spend this time thinking! Yeah, doesn't help. I'm already doing it. I think about everything, more or less all of the time. I don't need a particular "thinking time".
2. Set yourself a goal! I already have a goal, currently that 75min set. That's not the problem.
3. Man up! Stop whining! That's not actual help. And as I said, the problem isn't that it's too tough.
So again, any ideas to help me make cycling more "fun". Thanks in advance.