Gym-Rat-ian Confessions, Part 3 - Bohhhh---Riiiiinnnngg!

Half an hour or more on a treadmill or elliptical or stationary bicycle is just plain boring - just being honest, here. And done 5 or 6 or 7 times a week, that boredom would soon become a mental barrier to working out. So, what to do?

When I was walking outside on the streets, music was sufficient. The scenery and people I met changed continually, and I had to pay attention to things like uneven sidewalks and traffic (even if I get flattened by a driver who is in the wrong, I'm still flattened!). One thing I found handy was Bluetooth headphones. That way I don't have to worry about where to keep my smart phone so that the cord between the phone and headphones will not be so tight it pulls out or pulls the phone out of my pocket so it falls to the ground. At the gym, I probably see some one accidentally yank their phone or MP3 player off a machine's shelf a couple times a month. I cringe every time I see it! The Bluetooth headphones I've found that have good sound and are durable (I've spent hours sweating on the treadmill and walked a half marathon using them) are LG HBS700. But on a treadmill, music alone wasn't enough for me.

I've seen others reading magazines and books. That can work pretty well, and I have read books while on the treadmill. But books can be a little awkward. Another thing that has worked well for me is reading books on my tablet computer (an e-reader will work just as well, though tablets can have apps for more than one e-reader format). By using my tablet, I can (and often do) read from more than one book over my time on the treadmill. Often I read 2-5 chapters from the Bible (I have two translations on my tablet at present), and then read in whatever other book I happen to be reading at the time. The latter, lately, have been novels by Jules Verne and Charles Dickens (complete works of older authors can be very inexpensive). I also have the book our church home group is using on my tablet. Imagine trying to read from 2 or 3 "dead tree" books while using a treadmill (or elliptical or stationary bicycle)!