Author: nanning2014gymnastics

Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

nanning2014gymnastics November 28, 2022 No Comments

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

A form of depression that affects people during different times of the year seasonal affective disorder is more commonly associated with the winter seasons than the summer, but while you can suffer from either form, summer seasonal affective disorder is much rarer.   

Symptoms

As SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a form of depression the symptoms are similar, however there are some symptoms specific to the type of seasonal disorder a person has.  General symptoms include:

·      Feeling depressed

·      Low self-esteem

·      Feeling hopeless

·      No longer enjoying everyday activities or hobbies

·      Sleep issues

·      Sadness and despair

·      Feelings of worthlessness

·      General aches and pains

·      Fatigue, low energy levels and reduced sex drive

·      Thoughts of suicide or death

Spring and Summer SAD

·      Poor appetite

·      Weight loss

·      Anxiety

·      Insomnia

·      Feeling agitated or irritable

·      Aggressive behaviour

Autumn and Winder SAD

·      A craving for carbohydrates

·      Weight gain

·      Feeling tired and lacking motivation

·      Oversleeping

·      Trouble concentrating

·     Withdrawing socially

Causes

As with most mental health disorders it’s not fully understood what causes SAD.  It is believed that the shortening of the daytime sunlight hours in autumn and winter contribute to its development. 

The reasoning behind this is that experts believe the reduction in sunlight, affects the part of the brain known as the hypothalamus.  The hypothalamus has several functions including releasing hormones and managing, hunger, thirst, body temperature, sleep, sex drive and mood.  In particular it is believed it affects and disrupts the following:

·      Serotonin Production – reduced exposure to sunlight can affect your ability to produce serotonin which is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your mood.  A lack of serotonin can lead to depression and poor sleep which can affect your memory and reduce both your appetite and libido.

·     Melatonin Production – your brain produces melatonin to help you sleep. When it’s dark your brain triggers it’s production to encourage sleep and when there is sunlight it stops production to make you feel awake.  If you produce too much it will leave you feeling tired and lethargic.

Self-Help

There is plenty of information available online to help you try and manage your SAD.  Lifestyle changes, like encouraging you to spend as much time as possible in natural sunlight and maintain a healthy diet and taking regular exercise to help reduce your stress levels.  Relaxation techniques can help you manage your stress, like meditation, yoga and mindfulness.  Light therapy is also an effective to help seasonal affective disorder but doesn’t work for everyone, it involves using a special light box to simulate exposure to sunlight. 

Professional Help

If you believe you are suffering with SAD you should initially consult your doctor to confirm the diagnosis and rule out any other mental health condition.  They can check you vitamin D levels as a lack of Vitamin D can make symptoms worse.  They may also suggest medication such as anti-anxiety, antidepressants or SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). 

They may also suggest that you try therapies such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) which can be helpful for people who didn’t have success with light therapy or struggled with side effects of medication.  CBT can help you to retrain your negative thoughts, attitude and behaviours and better manage your symptoms.  Written by Jan, Jeana and Wendy at Barnsley Hypnosis and Counselling (UK). For more free Information click above link.

Ingredients and the Intimate Bleaching Treatment

nanning2014gymnastics October 20, 2022 No Comments

Intimate bleaching has become a popular cosmetic procedure. It is common to use bleaching creams for intimate parts. These creams can lighten intimate parts of the body and restore natural skin color.

 

The effects of time are not limited to the erogenous zones. Intimate bleaching removes excess pigmentation, which a lack of sun exposure may cause. When you are exposed to the sun, it can cause skin darkening.  

 

You are looking for an intimate bleaching Miami solution that will give you the desired results for your intimate parts. With a bleaching treatment, you must learn to remove dark spots from your intimate parts. There are many options on the market today, but we recommend only using high-quality treatments with quality ingredients.

What does this treatment mean?

 

Intimate bleaching Orlando treatments refer to using a bleaching agent to darken the skin's pigments in intimate areas. This is because the skin in these areas responds similarly to bleaching agents as the rest of our skin. Therefore, treatment must be done with care.

 

Women are increasingly aware that their intimates can be improved. Many folds in the skin can lead to pigmentation and discoloration. Because it is safe and effective, intimate bleaching is growing in popularity. This is a quick procedure that takes only about an hour. The results are almost always instantaneous.

 

For more information on this treatment, ask a professional. Any questions about cosmetics will be addressed by a professional. There are many other options, so this is only one option. Learn more about this treatment to see amazing results.

The main ingredients for intimate bleach

 

What's the best thing about Intimate bleaching treatments? Intimate bleaching uses a concentrated formula to remove discoloration from your skin. Intimate bleaching treatments work permanently to remove discoloration.

 

Hydroquinone, alpha-arbutin, and kojic acid are just a few of the ingredients. You may combine these ingredients to achieve the best results for your skin. Hydroquinone and other ingredients can cause skin allergy or irritation. 

 

Kojic acid, an organic chemical compound naturally found in nature, can be described as a natural substance. Several species of fungi produce it. Kojic acid blocks the activity of Tyrosinase, an enzyme that helps synthesize melanin (a dark pigment produced by the skin). 

 

Kojic acid is found in many foods, including fermented food; it also is used as a skin-lightening ingredient in cosmetics. It's used in cosmetics to lighten skin and reduce dark spots or freckles.

 

Ultimate bleaching has many benefits: 

 

  • Get a softer skin

  • It lightens your skin

  • It removes dark spots 

  • It improves self-confidence 

  • It can be done at home 

  • No long recoveries 

  • No surgery 

 

Many treatments can help you improve your skin. Having better skin can help you feel better about yourself, and some studies said that it could also improve your sex life because you feel better about yourself. 

 

Now, before tasting and dermatological treatment, ask your doctor. Check all active ingredients to know if you are allergic or not to one of them. 

 

Avoid using homemade products or creams. Some products or food can produce allergies. 

Fitness Without Equipment

nanning2014gymnastics December 17, 2021 No Comments

In this day and age most of us who want to get fitter, stronger, or lose weight know that in order to achieve our goals we must participate in some type of exercise program. One of the problems is that of choosing what sort of fitness equipment we should be using or buying. There are a number of choices on the market today, including elliptical trainers, rowing machines, exercise bicycles, steppers, weight machines, free weights, cable machines, and so on.

Now you have two choices when it comes to using fitness equipment. First is to purchase a piece of equipment, depending on the quality of what you want, buying can be pretty expensive. The second choice is to become a gym member. This will give you a wider of choice in the types of fitness equipment you can use, but even this option can be expensive.

Now there can be many reasons that could make it difficult for you to take advantage of either choice. Perhaps you are in a position in your life at the moment where you cannot afford to purchase any fitness equipment or afford to join a gym. You may not have any space at home to use any fitness equipment, or have the time to travel to a gym 3 or 4 times a week. You may feel uncomfortable or not have the confidence at the present time to join a gym. All these reasons will result in one thing, and that is not exercising, and not achieving the vision you may have of yourself for the future.

Now I am going to be brutally honest with you. All those reasons are just excuses not to exercise. You justify not exercising with these excuses and this makes you feel that there is some substance behind why you cannot exercise. The fact is that there is no substance behind these excuses, because when you focus on why you can't do something your mind will come up with lots of reasons for that point of focus. However if you focus on a regular basis on why you should exercise, your mind will come up with reasons and ways for that as well. You can reach extreme levels of fitness without equipment.

The truth is that we associate great bodies with fitness equipment and we have the perception that fitness without any equipment is not something that can be achieved successfully. This is a million miles away from the truth. You don't need any fitness equipment to become fitter, stronger, or slimmer. Your own body is one of the best pieces of fitness equipment that you have. You can reach extremely high levels of fitness using nothing but your body.

Take a look at the sport of boxing. It is only over the last few years that boxers have started using weights or weight machines to train. A few years ago 99% of their training consisted of using their own body for their training. Boxers would get up in the early hours and run the streets, not use a treadmill at lunch time. They would spend many hours a week doing push ups, sit ups, chin ups, stretching, shadow boxing, and a whole host of other body weight exercises. Boxers are warriors and they reach warrior status without any equipment. Boxers have the fittest and most durable physiques in sport.

To become a soldier is no mean feat, the training is extremely tough. The bulk of a soldiers training consists of exercising without equipment. They spend hours running over rough terrain carrying equipment and heavy backpacks. They spend months doing circuit training consisting of swimming, push ups, chin ups, sit ups, and various other exercises. Nobody can say that a soldier is not an extremely fit individual.

There is a huge choice of exercises you can use, where your body is the only piece of equipment you will need. Depending on the method of training you use, just 15 minutes a day will give you fitness levels far beyond what you have at the moment. Pick a set of exercises that hit different body parts and make a circuit out of them. Circuit training will improve your strength, fitness, and endurance. Pick your own circuit or use the one below

Free squats (30 seconds) Rest (20 seconds) Push ups (30 seconds) Rest (20seconds) Crunches (30 seconds) Rest (20 seconds) Squat thrusts (30 seconds)

This circuit last just 3 minutes and it will work your body hard. Do as many actions of each exercise in a 30 second period and do not have any more than 20 seconds rest. Try it once and see how you feel. Call this one circuit, and when your fitness improves do another circuit later in the day. There really is no limit to how far you can go on this circuit, the fitter you get the more circuits you keep adding. Just try one to begin with to get used to it and think on that one circuit is just 3 minutes out of your whole day. 3 minutes is not a lot compared to the benefits you will get from that time. Now you know that you are capable of reaching a high level of fitness without equipment.

Power Half Hour by Tony Horton Will Give The User Improvement Only in Relation To Proper Nutrition

nanning2014gymnastics November 17, 2021 No Comments

We have all heard: "You are what you eat."

Perhaps what you might never have heard is that when it comes to working out in any program, your results are determined by what and how you eat.

The world has been taken by storm the last few years by the staggering success of the extreme home workout program P90X. More than 4 million people have seen their physical lives literally revolutionized in 90 days time.

From my own experience as a P90X student and graduate, my ability or inability to stick with a nutrition plan with wholesome and beneficial foods was the number 1 determinant of my satisfaction with my results.

P90X is 13 weeks of hard intense focused work. You simply hate to short change your results. I found from eating right and eating wrong, that the results are totally different depending on which path you choose.

Power Half Hour is a cousin of P90X. It actually predates the mega-popular workout. Power Half Hour is a daily 30 minute workout as opposed to a hour or more in P90X.

Both programs rely on variety, muscle confusion, and fast pace to achieve total body conditioning and maximum results. Power Half Hour is designed to show you results you can feel and see inside by the 6th 30 minute workout.

Another variation is that Power Half Hour is a 60 day program rather than 90.

There is a lot to be excited about with Power Half Hour. The concept of a 30 minute workout giving you results inside a week is enticing for people who either have or haven't tried P90X.

Both are similar in that you must eat right. Both P90X and Power Half Hour come fully equipped with a detailed nutrition plan. The focus within the nutrition plan for each is limiting processed sugars, processed foods and saturated fats.

In fact, studies show that the number 1 key to weight loss is restricting your intake of these foods with or without exercise.

These are not easy habits for us to adopt. Especially in Western countries where these foods are very much a part of the diet we grew up with and are still highly prevalent.

I advocate that people start in on eating better for a few days before they start any workout. When they see how much better they feel and the noticeable weight loss from just eating better, it will likely encourage them to dig in to the workout and eat right while doing it.

The body improvement in Power Half Hour is fail safe. Do what is asked for the 30 minute workout and eat what they tell you to eat. This formula will change your life.

Schwinn 430

nanning2014gymnastics October 17, 2021 No Comments

The Schwinn 430 Elliptical Machine gets the greatest rankings among testers. I have been reading Elliptical exercise machine reviews and discovered this interesting fact. This elliptical machine is well loved! There's a sense of balance between the features and its cost. And those that purchased it say that due to that feature it makes for a great elliptical machine.

I'm moving from the stationary bike (that old style one) towards the Schwinn 430. Due to my high blood pressure, the physician suggested low impact workout routines, so they won't strain my heart. Walking was among the exercises he suggested. On days when the weather conditions are bad, this Schwinn keeps me company.

To begin with, why Schwinn? I trust this 100 year old company. I am very fond of it because all our bikes growing up were Schwinn. I understand their engineering and production and so I was certain that the Schwinn elliptical would be durable, sturdy, stable and strong. When selecting an elliptical machine, make certain it has stability and balance. Schwinn has built-in stabilizers therefore the machine will not tip aside, when you are working out.

The Schwinn 430 also won me over as it is full of features! For all the features it comes with, you'd think that this was an expensive health club piece of equipment. You will never fail using these features: solid frame and sturdy footpads, 8 computer controlled resistance, pre-designed workout, 6 profile programs with calorie guide, 18 inch stride making it great for starters, smooth strides allow for less fatigue without any uneven actions.

The Schwinn 430 offers forward and backward directions, BioGlide motion, and a heart rate monitor together with a good work out progress monitor. They are important features because when you're only allowed low-impact cardio workout routines, you'll need to ensure that you keep to this. Anything strenuous might adversely affect your condition, so obtaining the monitors means an even more accurate and safe workout!

With this model, you will get cardio-vascular benefits. Its 18-inch stride feature allows you to progressively boost the speed to supply needed resistance. You are able to alter the resistance level based on your own body's condition. Using its calorie guide to figure out how much energy you're burning.

Many reviewers like that this Schwinn model is very sensitive to their movements and promotes higher levels of cardio when compared with running. Also, there's less fatigue when you're carrying out upper and lower workout programs because this elliptical trainer instinctively knows how you move!

One thing that people pointed out was that the machine is heavy. This elliptical trainer has wheels, just make sure that they're centered and that the caster is not damaged.

I suggest the Schwinn 430 to buddies who're searching to upgrade their elliptical machines or are out to buy their first. I understand that this can be a large ticket item for many people. But depending on my experience, it's worth it!

The Plus Side To Owning A Good Folding Treadmill

nanning2014gymnastics September 17, 2021 No Comments

There are several good things to owning a good folding treadmill, but recently people seem to have forgotten what they are. So with those in mind that don?t see a good treadmill as something they really can have, we?re going to look at the plus side to owning a good one.

Focusing on the Sole F80 folding treadmill, there are obvious advantages to owning one. First and foremost a fully folding machine of this type means that you can store it virtually anywhere. This is great for people that do not have a lot of space to put in a full treadmill. You can put your machine underneath a bed, or in the closet, or even under the couch depending your furniture. If you don?t really want to put it away you can fold it and lean it in a corner of your room for maximum space saving.

Secondly the plus side really is in terms of how quiet the motor is on the Sole F80. Most folding treadmills either have no motor or have a loud motor that causes distraction or noise that neighbors can complain about. That?s not the case here, the motor is near silent even at maximum levels.

The final upside to owning a good folding treadmill is the warranty. The Sole F80 comes with a lifetime warranty and will last you for the years upon years of healthy living and good use. As a bonus upside, consider the fact that you?ll lead a better, healthier life with such a great item in your life.

The Cybex Lcx 425t Has Many Features Which Makes It Stand Out From The Crowd.

nanning2014gymnastics August 17, 2021 No Comments

The cybex LCX 425T provides runners and walkers with all of the comfort, security and features they need and demand, while giving an astoundingly small footprint, and a surprisingly large running surface. The cybex LCX 425T is the perfect example of small but powerful. Think of a small british mini metro with a monstrous chevvy engine. The cybex LCX 425T has many other features which makes it stand out from the crowd and gives you even more reasons to have one of these superb machines.

Space Saving - The cybex LCX 425T's commercial sized running surface in a compact footprint makes it the ideal treadmill when you have limited space.
Smooth and Powerful - The 3.0 HP motor with PWM control combines with rugged 2.75? rollers to give you remarkably smooth operation at all speeds.
Solid and Sleek - Clean, open front design made from solid steel and a vibration free construction.

Loads Of Programs - Quick Start, Manual, Heart Rate Control (with user selectable target heart rate), Speed Interval 1, Speed Interval 2, Cardio, Weight Loss, Hill Interval, Rolling Hills, Hills and Pike?s Peak. Programs have 10 levels and control both incline and resistance.

Graphic Display - Upper display may scan or select between distance, calories, calories/hr, METs, pace, and heart rate. Lower display shows time, incline and speed.

Heart Rate Monitoring - Includes Contact and Polar? capability (chest strap not included).Multi-color heart shaped LED provides color coded feedback of your heart rate.

Intelligent Suspension 3 - The cybex LCX 425T IS3 deck suspension system flexes mainly at the point of impact, absorbing shock where it occurs; unlike the traditional floating decks which indiscriminately give way and cause instability in your stride.

Made for your Convenience - At hand convenience with split-level consoles, two water bottle sized holders, magazine rack and tabs.

Specifications:
Elevation Range - 0 to15%
Speed Range - 0.5 mph to 11 mph (0.8 kph to 17.6 kph)
Dimensions - 32" (81 CM) W x 72" (183 CM) L x 61" (155 CM) H
Max User Weight - 350 lbs (159 kg)

Model Categories of The Nordic Track Treadmill Line

nanning2014gymnastics July 17, 2021 No Comments

America First Meets NordicTrack

In the early 1990s the NordicTrack name broke into American consciousness with a long, slightly goofy commercial. It featured senior citizens exercising on a stationary cross-country ski machine with the voiceover saying, "Get on track - with NordicTrack!" and touting it's "patented fly-wheel design".

The commercial was considered a little silly but it ran frequently for a long time and in the end America came to know the name NordicTrack.

Birth of the Nordic Track Treadmill

Eventually NordicTrack expanded their product line and introduced the Nordic Track Treadmill to take advantage of the ongoing home fitness craze.

Today, Nordic Track treadmills come in five different product categories ranging from entry level for occasional use to serious training equipment suitable for use in health clubs or for training professional athletes. In between these ends are a wide variety of models with various features and options to satisfy an array of preferences.

Among the options on Nordic Track treadmills are the size and durability of the components such as motors, treads and rollers, the number and type of software such as preprogrammed workouts and fitness-tracking software to assist with developing a workout routine and range or incline or decline options to intensify cardiovascular training.

Health Advantages of Home Fitness Equipment

Access to fitness training equipment at home is beneficial for everyone from the beginning exerciser to the serious athletic trainer. A machine in the home means no more excuses for not going to the gym. And because the equipment is so close at hand a quick workout can be done even when there are only a few minutes available.

More frequent workouts mean health advantages like keeping off or losing excess weight and building strength and endurance, reduction of stress. And access to a machine like a treadmill in the home allows easier access to a workout for people who live in areas with bad weather making them unable to exercise outside or less likely to go out and drive to a gym.

Nordic Track Treadmill Options

When shopping for a treadmill, factors to consider are available comfort-related features such as sound system, shock absorbing running deck and size and sophistication and readability of the graphics display and machine controls, to training features like incline settings, preprogrammed workouts and fitness tracking software, and finally the capacity and durability of the equipment such as motor size, tread length and weight capacity. Price and budget is also a factor when looking at the available options.

Training Selection Criteria

To start the process of elimination in picking a treadmill, it's helpful to consider how frequently it will be used. Knowing how many people are likely to use the machine for how long and how often will determine the capacity of equipment that will be needed to satisfy demands. For less frequent use average tread construction, standard rollers and a lower-rated motor capacity is probably sufficient.

Another consideration to help pick category and model is the level of serious training help wanted. At the extreme end are machines that use the sophisticated iFit Live fitness training software which tracks workouts online, offers dozens of running courses, including the use Google Maps Street View to give users the point of view and elevation of actually running in a particular city, and includes motivational reviews by trainer Jillian Michaels.

The iFit Live software uploads and tracks workouts to their website using a wireless internet connection (requires wifi connection and set up).

All Nordic Track Treadmill models come with at least a handful of pre-set workouts giving runners a quick start options with pre-set variations in speed and elevation.

Incline settings range in models from 0% to 15% elevation on moderate machines to -6% (decline) to 40% incline for serious training needs.

Comfort Related Features

Running and walking can be hard on joints and bones and Nordic Track has two deck cushioning systems to reduce the impact of upright aerobic exercise on the body. The basic Comfort Shox system softens deck landings by providing a cushion in a gap between the treadmill deck and a lower deck to provide some flexibility at impact.

The more advanced QuadFlex Cushioning puts four shock-absorbing stanchions on each side of the running platform for extensive padding along the full length of the treadmill deck.

Machine Capacity Considerations

When it comes to hardware, the abilities of the motor are probably most important, followed by tread and rollers. On the high capacity end is a 4.0 CHP (continuous duty horsepower) motor, which is constructed to work under heavy use conditions. A range of lower CHP options is available for those wishing to trade component capacity for other considerations.

Related to the motor is the size of the rollers that turn the tread. The largest diameter 3" rollers reduce friction and rotation and are best for long lasting operation and frequent use. Standard rollers are also an option on some machines. Like motor and rollers the tread construction is related to anticipated use. The strongest tread is a 2-ply construction and for less intense needs and to provide trade-off s for users with other priorities models are available with more modestly constructed treads.

The Five Nordic Track Treadmill Model Categories

A summary of the five Nordic Track Treadmill Models follows.

Elite Series - The Elite series models are have the iFit Live workout training software built in to the console which also includes a 10" color display and Android powered web browser. The motor and tread are among the strongest offered and they decline settings for downhill workouts.

Fit Series (formerly the A Series) - The entry level model 16 has preprogrammed workouts and moderate components to save on price. Perfect for the new or less frequent user.

Incline - With options like incline up to 40% and decline to -6% this line is for heavy calorie burning workouts. Google Maps workouts and Reflex Cushioning add comfort to the calorie burn.

Commercial - With 60" tread lengths and 3+ CHP motors and the most models to chose from, these machines will withstand hearty home use as well as health club environments.

C Series - The middle of the road category, the C series has the QuadFlex Cushioning for running comfort, mid-level hardware capacities and iFit Live fitness software capabilities.

How To Lose Belly Fat And Get Abs

nanning2014gymnastics June 17, 2021 No Comments

Every health conscious individual is constantly searching for a good method to lose belly fat. If you are one of those individuals, then you need to start evaluating all the options you can use to burn stomach fat effectively. The human body has a natural tendency to store fat in the abdominal region. The body's next favorite place for storing fat is the arms and thighs. But most people will agree that the most difficult place to lose fat from is the stomach.

It is easy to find out if there is too much fat around your stomach. Simply take a measuring tape and measure your waistline. Usually women of average height should not have a belly over 34 inches and a man must have a belly size less than 38 inches. If you have measure your belly size and discovered that you need to lose some belly fat, the best solution for you is to chalk up a good diet plan and an exercise routine. Don't let the words 'diet' and exercise scare you. You don't need to starve yourself or sweat for hours at the gym. Making small changes to the foods you eat and starting out with a simple workout plan will help you get started on the journey to reduce stomach fat.

The most effective method of burning belly fat is a bit different for women and men. Genetics plays an important role in deciding whether you are naturally chubby or lean. I am sure you know someone who seems to eat all they want, all day long but still never get fat. However, even if genetics is not on your side, there are many things you can do to decrease your body fat and get back your beautiful shape.

Men have a higher natural tendency to accumulate fat in the stomach area compared to women. The male hormone testosterone plays a significant role in this. Women, on the other hand, tend to store fat in the hips, buttocks and thighs due to the effect of estrogen. After menopause as a woman's estrogen decreases her belly fat tends to increase. Men usually store more stomach fat compared to women, but they can also lose abdominal fat quicker than women by exercising.

Begin by finding out the exact reasons which have caused to have a big belly. Do you have a sweet tooth? Is eating a big bag of potato chips sitting on the couch your favorite hobby on weekends? Is beer your best friend? Every person tends to have some weakness which contributes most to increasing their belly fat. Take a look at all your daily activities and find out what this is for you.

Start paying attention to the foods you like to eat the most. Cut down on fast foods and deep fried items. Make sure to get 8 hours of beauty sleep every night. Lack of sleep can lead to increased stress during daytime, which in turn will cause your body to produce more cortisol. Cortisol causes your body to store more belly fat. Add more vegetables and fruits to your diet.

Instead of taking you car every time you go out of your house, walk when you only need to go to nearby locations. Walking is a great exercise for burning belly fat. If you haven't been to the gym in ages, start out by just walking for a few minutes every day. Then you can move on to jogging and light aerobic exercises. This will help your body adjust to the extra demands you will put on it when you start doing proper workouts.

It is not difficult to get a flat and firm midsection if you are willing to make a plan and then follow it daily. Begin with little steps and measure your progress. You will soon find that losing belly fat can be a very exciting and memorable experience.

Working Out On An Exercise Bike – How To Alleviate The Boredom

nanning2014gymnastics May 17, 2021 No Comments

Working out on an exercise bike provides you with a great cardiovascular workout, and will really improve your general fitness. However the trouble is that it can be really boring because all you are doing is pedalling. So is there anything you can do to make these workouts any more interesting?

Well speaking as someone who has been using an exercise bike at home for many years now, I can tell you that there are lots of things you can do to alleviate the boredom.

The first thing you can do is play some music. In my experience the time seems to pass a lot quicker when you have your favourite music playing in the background, particularly when it's high tempo music.

I also find that it has a massive impact on my overall mood as well. Exercise bike workouts helps release endorphins, which improves your mood anyway, but I personally find that having some really good music playing in the background improves my mood even more.

Another thing you can do to alleviate the boredom is to watch television at the same time. This will generally involve moving your exercise bike into your bedroom or living room, which could be a struggle if you have a particularly heavy bike. However it will give you something to watch when you are working out.

Many of the popular gym chains have television screens in their gyms these days, although I've noticed that the sound is often turned down, which seems pretty pointless. Maybe this is because many members prefer to listen to music instead because it is more uplifting.

If you don't want to listen to music or watch television, you can also read a book or a magazine. I don't particularly like reading whilst exercising because I tend to pedal a little slower, and it is not easy to read when you are doing such a vigorous exercise.

One thing I do like to do is to set targets for myself after each kilometre. This ensures that I keep a constant pace throughout the workout and do not become lazy at any point. I also like to steadily increase the tension in the final five kilometres, whilst still trying to beat a certain time for each kilometre covered. This gives me a challenge and makes the whole thing a lot less boring.

If you don't fancy doing any of these things, then you have one remaining option, and that's to go to the gym with a friend. If you both agree to go on the exercise bikes at the same time, you can chat during the workout, and therefore the time will pass a lot quicker.

My best advice would be to play your favourite music during an exercise bike workout and set yourself time targets that you have to beat during the actual workout. This is what I do, and have been doing for many years now, and I actually quite enjoy my exercise bike workouts as a result. So the point is that working out on an exercise doesn't have to be boring.