Help! I need ideas for cardio exercise for someone who gets easily bored.

[Fortyfifty]

I usually play tennis a few times per week but as I can't currently do that, I am suffering from not doing any cardio. I'm looking for suggestions for someone who easily gets bored of repetitive type exercises.

I've tried and failed to motivate myself to do exercise videos via Youtube. I've completed C25K twice before but never kept running up so going out to run is not an option. Partly I don't enjoy it but also live in a built up area which makes it unpleasant. Ditto for cycling. I did enjoy the challenge part of C25K and the fact it was goal orientated with gradual build up.Is there any way to replicate that with something home-based?

Ive enjoyed body combat/boxfit type classes before but don't have much space indoors. I seem to prefer exercise which uses props. All I have at home is hand weights, stretchy pilates band and a medicine ball. I have a garden. But, I repeat, I hate repetitive exercises. The videos I dislike most are those which do a series of exercises. Then you repeat those exercises. Then repeat them again. Yawn. I just stop.

Even if I set up a series of exercises that I enjoy, I would not be motivated to goand do them again another day. If it's not fun (like sports) I need to be working towards something measurable for motivation.

Sorry for the essay. Just hoping to tap into people like me, who have found something which works. I love playing tennis and miss it so much.

I'm late 40s and peri-menopausal, dealing with increasing flab around my middle, so can't be doing nothing.

I’d do different stuff in different days rather than just one thing

Skipping is really good
Dancing is actually a good work out too. I’m sure there’s something on ytube
Have you had a look at fitness blender ?
I like Chloe ting classes on ytube. Yes it is just a series of exercises but try something like that one day a week and other things the other days.
Can you do cycling or running at times when it is a bit quieter so less unpleasant?

watch.lesmillsondemand.com/at-home-workouts Check out Les Mills on Demand. They have some free content until the end of this month. I've been doing them in my lounge, you don't need much space at all. You can do something different each time. The grit cardio and athletic are great for a cardio workout as are combat and attack. Some of them use weights - a bar or weight plates. You can adapt the exercises to use the weights that you have available. I find the music motivating and the exercise changes from track to track. I also find it lots of fun especially the combat class where I let rip with my punching and kicking thin air

I second the suggestion of dancing - I've done a couple of YouTube dance workouts before and they are definitely a good cardio workout.

I've been trying to do a different you tube workout every day. I don't usually get bored, but find in lockdown I have to vary routines pretty quickly or it gets stale easily. So do Joe Wicks sometimes, other workouts, signed up to a fb thing to walk 10k steps a day for a medal, have been using my weighted hula hoop. Just determine in your own mind that you'll do something every day - if you find today's boring once you get started - well you won't be doing it tomorrow.

I'm not very coordinated. I tried a beginners zumba video and couldn't keep up Any recommendations for simple dance workouts?

I like skipping? How much is needed to be worthwhile?

I'm going to try a bike ride on Sundays whilst they are currently quiet. Loads of families out on bikes last Sunday.

With running it's more that I am effected by my immediate environment. I already have to walk the dog past all the grey houses - I can't go out twice and deal with it. If I am going to get anything out of running, it's when I can do it in a green space.

I'm not at all coordinated and end up totally messing up lots of the steps but I like the fact that it's a challenge and I can 'practice' to try and get it right plus the fact that I'm alone so nobody sees me looking like a dick. I normally do ones from Pop Sugar but they are quite enthusiastic in a very American way!

If you want to make otherwise dull running (sane I'd route) a bit more interesting, get some headphones and the app 'Zombies! Run!'

I signed up for Les Mills on Demand after getting frustrated with the stuff on youtube. They are really good. I see you already have done combat before and I really enjoy body combat at home. You don't need a lot of space and another poster already posted the link to the free content. If you have hand weights, I've done bodypump with just handweights and doing without weights for the leg tracks. I think you'll like body attack too. Haven't tried grit cardio myself, but that also doesn't use weights. I'm also doing sh'bam (dance) and body balance too.

Les Mills, and just do different ones each time.