How To Finish a Cardio Workout

Health: you know you want it. But do certain thoughts stop you before you even start? You know, thoughts like, "Oh well, I'll just work extra hard during my next workout," or, "Cardio. It's. just. boring." There are enough proven health benefits of exercise that we all know it's something we should be doing. But we could all use a little reminder and some help in order to make that first step. It is those accumulated steps that will take you very far when you apply consistency.

Are you sick, like me, of hearing the advice to “do something you enjoy”? Again, if you’re like me, you’ve found that even something you enjoy can turn into a two-headed beast when the term “cardio” is applied to it. So I’ve compiled a list of strategies that have helped me start and actually finish my cardio workout without a struggle.

Take a look at the reasons to exercise, then the tips to help keep your workout from becoming mental torture. In the process, take "exercise" off the New Year's resolution list and take action!

Why exercise?

The reasons are many and can be personal. Maybe we all don't need to look good in that certain strapless dress, so here I'll focus on the clinical reasons why exercise is good for you. First of all, exercise is one of the top preventative ways to reduce your risk of getting certain cancers, diabetes, overweight/obese and the diseases that follow. The body has a chemical response to exercise, creating relaxation an improvement in mood. This, along with getting stronger, which reduces your risk of fall and injury, is something that is more immediately obvious. However, internally, the body responds to exercise with an increase in nutrient-rich blood flowing to all parts of your body. The effects are a stronger heart and lungs, a lowering of "bad" cholesterol, and a faster metabolism.

I know that I should exercise, but it sometimes is a pain to do. It helps me to remind myself why I'm doing it (see above paragraph), but the following "Cardio Rules" is a list of the techniques I use to get me through those days I'd rather stay at home. I hope you will make use of them, too, and contribute your own helpful tips!

CARDIO RULES

1. Set a goal. Go in with a gameplan. Know what you want to achieve before you even get in the door. Think of how you’ll feel about yourself after you accomplish this goal. Pretty darn good, right? So keep that in mind! But even though you have your goal that you want to – no, WILL – achieve, it doesn’t mean that the gameplan can’t be altered. So Rule #1: set a goal. Start out small or big. Above all, remember to keep it REALISTIC. I can’t emphasize this enough! You’re not going to go from couch-to-marathon in a day. As a good guideline, think of what you are currently doing – then, as Emeril would say, “Kick it up a notch!” So, whether it’s 10 minutes of incline treadmill walking or sprints across a football field, as long as it is a challenge to you that you set forth and complete, it is an
   accomplishment.
2. Break it up. Imagine a day at the office; your hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Do you go in there at 9 thinking about how long it is until the day is over? Maybe you do, but would that thought make you just go home or never go to the office in the first place? And, IF you do think this way, STOP! It’s essential to stay in the moment and so much easier to do this when you don’t look at your day as one huge mountain to climb but, rather, as a step here and step there. Hey, you get to take breaks, too, so quit your bellyaching! With exercise, break your goal up into smaller, more palatable chunks. Once you complete one chunk, don’t look back. Focus on what task is at hand, do it, then move on. Try to forget any work you’ve already done and say to yourself, for example, “I’m doing this for five minutes. No problem. I can do anything for five minutes.” This strategy works really well if you find yourself overwhelmed by the total goal, be it
   time, distance, calories, amount of sweat, etc.

    

   I like to break my routine into a warm-up and cool-down, a large chunk of “steady-state” aerobics, with the remaining cardio done in intervals, during which time I go fast then slow in cycles. I find that interval training helps keep my mind engaged, which is the trick to keeping me going. Furthermore, I often stop between my exercise chunks to drink water, use the bathroom or perform some crunches or light weights. I should note that I do my cardio in a gym and use cardio machines and other equipment; if I were at home, I might choose to take a “break” to dump the garbage, drop in a load of laundry, or any other such activity to change up what I was doing. So, if working something in between one of your exercise chunks will help invigorate you (or take your mind off what’s at hand), get creative and choose a few activities to do after finishing each portion of your workout. Then, move on to the next chunk with renewed vigor!

3. Listen up. Music not only provides a mental stimulus to keep your brain engaged, it also sets a beat to your workout. Music has many effects on the mind and body, from relaxing to angering. The key here is to choose something that gets you energized. This may be music that you would never listen to outside of the gym (or wherever you exercise), but you know that listening to it will keep you pumped up. It may even be that you will listen to a podcast of a news program. It might be a goal to exercise until the end of the podcast. It is personal taste whether the “music” has words or is only the beat. However, it is a good idea to choose songs with consistent rhythms so that it helps your body to get into a groove. Load your favorite tunes onto your iPod and get going!
4. Suck. Suck? Yup. Or chew. Toss some sugar-free gum or a hard candy in your mouth before your workout. Believe it or not – it really does help make cardio easier. Think of it as keeping another part of your body engaged: we just finished up the ears and now we have the mouth. For an added challenge, blow bubbles. But always be careful not to choke.
5. Pack on the pressure. People are social creatures. We are also competitive. Recruit a friend to work out with you; the right one will provide motivation as well as a dose of healthy competition to keep going. Whether it’s loyalty or aggression that’s making you stick to the workout, just refer to the previous list of six reasons to exercise to know that, no matter the reason, it’s a great thing.
6. Get ready, set and go.  Keep your workout clothes and shoes together and in a convenient place. Have anything else you need for your workout with your clothes (i.e. water, iPod, gum, keys, etc.). If you’re already dreading a workout, it’s not going to help if you need to spend more time getting ready. In short, be ready to accomplish your exercise goal, then GO.
7. Hand over the responsibility. If you find that your mentality is keeping you from achieving your goal, it might be time to recruit a professional. This might come in the form of a personal trainer or, more economically, by signing up for an aerobics class. Often, just by making the effort to choose, sign up and pay for a class, you build a commitment to the activity. Once you’re there, someone else calls the shots, so just get there, listen
   and work hard.
8. Take it one day at a time. If you miss a workout, forget about it. One workout is not a big deal. It took you more than a decade just to reach puberty – one missed workout is not going to keep you from terrific health or changing your body. This is an instance where keeping the bigger picture in mind is a good idea, unlike the suggestion to break up a single workout into parts. Focus on your overall goal. Forgive yourself for life getting in the way. Stay on target and don’t let it affect the next try.
9. Congratulate yourself. For all that you’ve done for YOU, give yourself a huge pat on the back, or just smile and silently congratulate yourself if you’d rather not do that in public. You’ve just made yourself into a better and stronger person, who can now go out and conquer the rest of life. Be proud of yourself.

Use these strategies in a way that works for you. Pick from them as necessary to help you where you feel you need it. But bear in mind that any success comes down to following through with your gameplan, no matter how you decide to proceed. Please stay true to yourself and be absolutely certain of what you want to accomplish. I wish you all the best of luck!