audio books, and a trainer said if you do it long enough you will acquire a
taste for it, not me not yet anyway, Lee

I've had a good experience with the Gazelle at home and with the
elliptical machines at the Y. But I agree with you -- my biggest
hurdle is the BOREDOM.

But I'm to the point now where I miss it if I don't do it, which isn't
quite gotta-gotta-gotta, but it's right around the corner. The biggest
thing I notice is that stress on days when I do a big hit of cardio in
the morning is just not as stressful. Believe it or not.

But anyhoo -- the televisions at the Y help with the boredom, but
mostly what helps is that I am doing it with someone else. Buddy up,
sez I.

Get a DVD player aqnd watche a movie :o)

Music helps me.. but I love cardio.. once I'm on the machine..
Will~

I am a total cardio junkie. I have to really MAKE myself lift weights, but
the cardio is such a huge part of my life. It took me about a year to get
hooked on it though, and the closer I got to goal weight the better it got.
I would be bored stiff if I did it all inside. I use an IPOD and listen to
my favorite music, some mornings I bicycle outside, once in a while on an
inside exercycle. I walk/jog and am trying to work up my endurance so that I
can run. I do aerobic dance tapes, step tapes and boot camp tapes. I
probably do the outside bicycle most. My day is not Ruined if I don't get it
in, but I have to make myself take one day a week off sometimes. I enjoy it
totally most of the time, and I feel so much better after that it makes me
go when I am not going to enjoy....

:)
I think that over time, as it becomes physically easier, you may enjoy it
more.  In some ways I sort of feel like the cardio is something I've
"conquered" and I enjoy it because there was so many years I could barely
walk up a flight of stairs without feeling winded.

Music works really well for me.  I like to run and I don't use my music if I
do a race and it sort of stresses me out.  I'm one of those people that
would like to dance but have no rhythm and would look foolish doing it.  So
I guess I rock out to my music while I run and I don't care how stupid I
look doing the air drums or lip synching while on my treadmill.

Rowing machines are especially good for the back and shoulders. I don't use
the one at the gym because I prefer standing cardio activities.

If you want something that works the arms while also working the legs, try
an elliptical.

Joe--

I hate working out in general.  As excellent as I feel while I'm
working out, I always have this guilt that there's something I'm *not*
doing while I am working out (being a full time grad student and a full
time member of the American work force will do that to you).  I was
pretty ill last week,so I gave myself permission to skip the gym.

Oh, boy, was THAT a mistake.  The only thing that skipping the gym did
for me was make me feel guilty about skipping it.  I have worked out
like a fiend since then, without complaints.  (We'll see how long this
lasts!)

So, here's what I do: I find a time to go when the gym's going to be
kind of quiet and I know there's some decent programming on (around
6pm).  I turn on the TV (usually reruns of some show I quite like, like
"Raymond" or "Law & Order"), and I cover up the timer on the
cross-trainer with my water bottle.  I pretty much know that I'll cover
around 2.5 miles, but it makes it so much better to pick up the water
bottle for a drink and think to myself, "Hey!  That's 18 minutes I've
done!  Only another 12 to go!"

The TV is my best friend while I'm working out.  Otherwise, I'd be
bored out of my mind.  The other thing you could try would be to get a
work out buddy.  I'm getting to a point where I know the people who
work out around the same time I do, so I can chat them up for a few
minutes or so.  It's never the first 20 minutes with me; it's the last
10 that I have to worry about.

As for the rower, I quite like it.  I'm a masochist, sure, but I do
30m. on the crosstrainer, and then I alternate between another 15 on
the rower or with the free weights.  And it's paying off!  I saw
defined biceps AND triceps yesterday while I was checking my stance in
the mirror.  I will tell you, though: the rower will kick your @$$.

Good luck!

Me too. I can make myself do it for a few days, but I can't persist.
However I love weight-lifting so do that instead. I DO miss weights
when I can't do them. The endorphin thing is probably true. I feel
great after a workout even if I'm shattered by a heavy session.

Cardio on the other hand leaves me feeling shattered and hating every
moment even if I do a light workout, and with no incentive ever to get
back on the bike.

Rowing with a decent machine is supposed to be really good, cos unlike
most cardio t's a whole body exercise. However it's got to be a decent
machine and used with good form or you'll either hurt yourself or
waste your time. My guess is that it would be just as boring as any
other cardio and more difficult to do other things like watch a movie
etc.