Suggestion for alleviating boredom at the gym?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I had surgery a couple of months ago. I am going through physical therapy, and I’m pretty limited to what I can do physically. As part of my PT, I spend 30 minutes per day on a stationary bike (and only a stationary bike). This is the most unbearably boring thing to do, and I do it every day. I’ve gotten to dread dragging myself to the office gym in the morning.

I tried reading but it makes me nauseous. I’ve tried audiobooks instead of my music, but I really need the music to keep me energized. There’s no TV in the gym, and nothing out the window but parked cars. The bike needs to be kept on the “Kansas” level, so there is absolutely no variety of any kind.

Anybody have any tips? I’m so bored.

2

And here I was going to suggest music.

Sometimes when I get bored, I like to make up stories in my head. I don’t know if that would work for you.

Or you could try to set records for yourself and then break them, like Principal Skinner did in “Bart the Murderer,” an episode of “The Simpsons.” Like, I don’t know…cycle a certain distance in a minute, then try to do even more the next time.

3

Why don’t you ride a real tricycle outside? It is inherently stable so you can go as easy as you need to.

Barring that, hire some strippers. :smiley:

4

I don’t see anything in the OP that rules out music. This kind of thing is what iPods were made for!

5

Laptop. WiFi. SDMB.

6

Get yourself a video iPod and rip episodes of shows you own on DVD. One 1-hour show is about the right length for me, around 42 minutes of cardio.

7

Is there some stand where you can put your laptop on to view DVDs?

I got ST:TOS for myself, to view on the stationary bike one episode at a time.

8

Have a wank?

9

I used to get books on tape and listen to them. I tired of that and went to the expense of getting an elliptical for home and setting up a DVD. This works pretty well over all!