Distracting yourself while exercising

@maezee (41997)
United States
January 19, 2018 1:40pm CST
How do you do it? I went to the gym today and felt super antsy knowing I had some errands to run afterwards so I only put in 40 minutes instead of my usual 50-60. I use a bunch of different machines but usually do a big chunk of my time on the elliptical machine. In the past, I have listened to music, had texting conversations, have attempted to come on MyLot (this is a little difficult to do one-handed), read a book (sometimes I have a hard time with this as well), watched Netflix on my phone. My gym also has giant TVs but they seem to always be tuned into something I dont want to watch. I love when the time flies while on the elliptical but without distractions I find myself watching the timer. And it goes painstakingly slow. So my question is what works the best for you while at the gym?
12 people like this
14 responses
@NJChicaa (116297)
• United States
19 Jan 18
This is why I love my gym. No machines like that. We do exercises with weights so there’s no motonony. We are always doing something.
3 people like this
@maezee (41997)
• United States
19 Jan 18
Your classes do sound like you dont have downtime for that. I do enjoy doing cardio however. Maybe I should take a spinning class or something more intense!
3 people like this
@NJChicaa (116297)
• United States
19 Jan 18
@maezee Cardio bores me. It feels like torture to have to be on those machines for so long even though the actual exercise itself isn’t hard.
1 person likes this
@maezee (41997)
• United States
20 Jan 18
@NJChicaa i guess it depends what youre doing. For me, running is consistently hard. The elliptical isnt until you start upping the levels which, lazy me, i really dont do lol
1 person likes this
@skydream (1446)
• Agate, Colorado
19 Jan 18
I'm the same. If I don't have a distraction then the time goes so slow and makes it hard. I like to listen to music or download podcasts of people I'm fans of, I used to do that at work also when allowed to make time pass faster. My gym usually will play Supernautral and that's my favorite show so that makes it faster too. But mostly music and podcasts help it go faster
2 people like this
• Pamplona, Spain
19 Jan 18
Don´t have a Gym near us and what I like doing is a bit of walking running and swinging my arms around and bit of jumping all within reason of course and I put my watch away so I don´t get to keep looking what time it is.
2 people like this
@jstory07 (135106)
• Roseburg, Oregon
20 Jan 18
I do not have the money to belong to a gym. I do go for two half hour walks every day.
1 person likes this
@maezee (41997)
• United States
20 Jan 18
That is so much better than being trapped in a room. I love the fresh air. My gym is extremely inexpensive - $10 a month
@Courtlynn (66918)
• United States
20 Jan 18
Music, convos with mom (she goes with).
1 person likes this
@maezee (41997)
• United States
20 Jan 18
Nice. That i am sure helps pass the time!
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66918)
• United States
20 Jan 18
@maezee yes it does
@Daelii (5619)
• United States
19 Jan 18
My gym has long windows to look over a lovely nature scenery. They rotate the machines around often.. So I just pick something with a good view! I keep thinking to bring my phone and try my lotting... But I kinda like just relaxing and taking time to think and pray.
1 person likes this
@maezee (41997)
• United States
20 Jan 18
Wow thats a really great idea! We just have a bunch of mirrors here. Like i dont know why youd want to watch yourself sweat!
@m_audrey6788 (58482)
• Germany
19 Jan 18
Just listening to music
@maezee (41997)
• United States
20 Jan 18
Ok!
1 person likes this
@mythociate (21437)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
21 Jan 18
I do it by 'chanting' (while walking around the neighborhood or working-out, I'd recite the "Hail Mary" or the "Our Father"--in English or in Latin, Aramaic, etc.--or recite the Lotus Sutra (the main six-syllable mantra, over-and-over, pausing to remember different sections of the Gongyo-or-Goshen-or-Gohonzen-or-whatever-it's-called). And then I usually don't even look at the timer---either doing the reciting a certain number of times, or just doing it over-&-over until the alarm rings.
The core Buddhist practice of SGI members is chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and reciting portions of the Lotus Sutra (referred to as gongyo), and sharing the teachings of Buddhism with others in order to help them overcome their problems.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
21 Jan 18
I do my exercise in a class so that goes quite fast. When I walk I just veg. But you could get books on tape and listen to a book instead of trying to read.
• Philippines
21 Jan 18
Well, I have TV in front of me, but that depends on show or movie or the news.
@dya80dya (34172)
19 Jan 18
I think you should listen to music. And if you are a visual type you should watch tv if you can.
1 person likes this
• Yogyakarta, Indonesia
20 Jan 18
I never go to the gym.. But actualy i want to do something at the Gym.. it sounds very interensting...
19 Jan 18
I’m the exact same way, when I have no distractions it feels like the time is going by super slow. I have to either listen to music & or watch a movie. Tubi Tv has lots of good movies to watch for free. Keeping my mind busy by thinking of things to do for the week or things that need to get done also seek to work for me.
1 person likes this
@Xtinah (1)
21 Jan 18
I listen to podcasts. My favorite ones are Real Talk Radio with Nicole Antoinette and The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes. These two are both entertaining and educational. Listening to podcasts helps me to relax a bit because it makes me feel more productive - working out while learning something! You can also listen to Audiobooks.