It can be easy to fall into a stale routine of plodding along on the treadmill or plopping down on the same stationary bike day after day. If you find yourself sick of the same old cardio, then it's time to shake it up. First, ask yourself if you might be doing too much cardio - there IS such a thing! But "too much" for one person might be just enough cardio for another.

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Normally, 60-90 minutes is safe for most people, as long as you're eating enough carbs to refuel each day. If you're not elevating your heart rate above 80 percent the whole time, then it may not be useful to exercise that long. The body considers exercise as stress and reacts to it as it reacts to "bad" stress. Too much exercise can have a similar effect on your metabolism as stress, plus too much cardio can result in muscle loss. It's a good idea to take at least one day off per week, regardless of your fitness level or how much weight you have to lose. If your problem is being in a cardio rut, then there are a few things you can try to shake it up and get motivated again.
If you belong to a gym and tend to gravitate to the same machine every time, then try something new. Trade the treadmill for the elliptical trainer, or pedal it out on the stationary bike. Take your workout outside if you tend to hit the gym too often and if the weather is nice.{relatedarticles}Try something new, whether it's new - or no - music, or a new program on your chosen machine. Go solo if you take a lot of cardio classes, or try a class if you tend to go solo. Whatever you decide, use variety to keep you motivated.