I’ve found my cardio exercise is much, much easier when I can read while I do it. The Kindle has been a blessing to my fitness regime. Unfortunately, the number of machines I can use while reading is limited. The eliptical is best, but stairmaster, bike and threadmills are also possibles.
All of which are good for the lower body, but give me limited upper-body activity, and many put a strain on similar joints and muscles. I’d like to expand my time on them while keeping my knees and hips.
Anyone know of any aids or other options for expanding my range of machines? Sadly, I can’t induce my local gym to buy any new machines, so that is out.
You’re either looking for a way to hold your kindle while using a rowing machine, a machine that works out your upper body instead of your lower body or other machines that will allow you to work out and hold your kindle at the same time…but I’m not sure which question you want the answer to.
In any case, look into a device that can hold the kindle and has long flexible/gooseneck ‘arms’ meant for wrapping around something.
If I were you, I’d LISTEN to books instead. I think it would be much easier and much more comfortable. You can use Audible or, what I use, OverDrive which goes through your library and is totally free.
Listening to books makes a ton of sense in that situation. Even if you find something to hold the kindle turning the page would be very disruptive to your rhythm.
I have a Concept2 at home and row a pretty fair amount. I have a phone mount for it, and I also use a small table to put my laptop on to watch shows etc., but if you don’t have a hands-free way to turn pages, I don’t see the Kindle thing working at all. You are constantly moving while rowing, and setting the handle down every minute or two would be absolutely infuriating. I get pissed if my playlist doesn’t work right and I have to click on something on my laptop once or twice in 45 minutes.
It may come to that. Thing is, I can’t fully describe how much being able to distract myself with a Kindle has done for my workout regime. Before that it would have been inconceivable that I’d end up doing so much cardio that I was worried about knees and hips. I just can’t make myself spend that much time with cardio without something that is very distracting indeed. I have tried audiobooks before but ran into two problems:
At the time the selection of audiobooks was not that large. Finding one I enjoyed enough, and hadn’t read in a physical format was difficult. With the Kindle, almost anything is available easily and quickly.
The audiobooks did not fit my reading rhythm well. When I reach a section that makes me think or imagine, or otherwise sends my mind off on a tangent I stop reading for a couple of minutes. With the audiobooks that became difficult, I’d either have to pause the book or I could lose bits of it when my focus wandered. So far, I’ve not had a problem with pageturning interrupting me, but I can see that it could become a problem with a machine that works the arms more.
The first. It is unlikely that I can convince my gym to buy any new machines.
Yes, that seems like exactly what I was hoping to find, thank you:)
Is there a way you can turn pages on a Kindle audibly, rather than by touch?
For what it’s worth, in my experience reading on the rower just wasn’t worth the trouble. Problem 1 is getting something to reliably hold the book/tablet. Problem 2, as you’re finding, turning pages, even electronically, is an issue because your hands are full. Problem 3, at least for me, the front to back sliding motion on the rower made it hard to maintain focus. I also found that I didn’t need as much time on the rower compared to the treadmill or bike. So I’d load up a few songs to keep me going for 10 minutes or so on the rower and then move on to something else, whereas on the bike or treadmill I’ll go for 30+ minutes. I only read on the bike. Too much movement on the treadmill for me, just like the rower.