Use the calorie information to motivate you, but don’t be a slave to it, and
don’t rely on the numbers to validate your efforts.Combating Boredom on Aerobic Machines .............................................
It’s no coincidence that “treadmill” is listed under “tedium” in Roget’s
Thesaurus;imitating a laboratory rodent is not among life’s thrills. No matter
what type of exercise machine you use and no matter how many flashing dots
you’re rewarded with, boredom is bound to hit you at some point. In this
section, we suggest ways to divert your attention so that your 20, 30, or 40
minutes pass before you know it. Eventually, you may actually begin to enjoy
the sensations of sweat and fatigue, and using these machines won’t seem
like a chore.Take a cardio-machine class ............................................................
It used to be that if you wanted a cardio workout in the company of a perky
instructor and enthusiastic classmates, you had to take step aerobics or
some type of dance class. But now the group-exercise concept includes
machines, too. The trend started with indoor cycling classes known as spin-
ning or studio cycling and has since expanded to treadmills, stair-climbers,
and rowing machines. Group cycling has become so popular that most new
clubs now build separate rooms for these classes. (See Chapter 4 for more
details about group cycling.) Treadmill classes that go by the name of Treading
and Trekking are also catching on. Concept II, a top rowing machine brand,
has developed a half-hour group class called Boathouse, and StairMaster has
introduced a 20-minute climbing class called Stomp.Instructors of these cardio classes guide you through a workout as if you’re
running, climbing, or rowing outdoors. You imagine bounding up pristine
mountain hills, sprinting through meadows, or finishing the Tour de France.
A good instructor can make the experience so much fun that you almost forget
you’re in a room with a dozen other stinky, sweaty people going absolutely
nowhere.Vary your workouts ...........................................................................
If you don’t want to take a class or you work out at home, you can make your
workouts more entertaining simply by varying your pace. Most machines
have a manual mode that allows you to control the intensity of the workout.Chapter 9: Using Cardio Machines 129