I don't care what anyone says, exercise can easily get uninteresting. Cardio is monotony. Lifting is hard and at times even the motivation of the most hardcore flags. Often you need something to push it up a notch or provide pacing. If it is entertaining, so much the better. Here are a couple of things I use;

 

1. I am a soundman (sound contractor). As such I sometimes come upon surplus equipment. I can choose to keep it, junk it, donate it or resell it used. At present I have a good monaural commercial paging amp, a simple four audio source switch and some good quality ceiling speakers, backcans and grilles installed in my workout area. The amplifier can be fed from an iPod, a portable radio or the sound card of my desktop computer. Not a stereo system, but it sounds pretty good considering.

 

2. IPod Nano - I had another MP3 player, but there is no comparison. Apple just does it so well. I originally bought it as a test signal source. Colleagues tested and found that for a personal player, iPods to have some of the cleanest audio on the market. One of the best exercise aids I have ever bought. I've ripped a bunch of music from CD's onto it. In addition, iTunes distributes a number of podcasts pertaining to exercise. More later about podcasts. One of the cool features is the ability to assemble playlists. Metal for lifting. Dance/80's for cardio. I use it in the home gym and keep it in my go bag when I'm out

 

3. AM/FM sports radio - A little passe, but I carry one in my go bag. Uses the same headphones as the iPod. I'm an AM talk radio/news junkie. If a favorite radio program is on when I get a chance to walk or skate, I don't have to miss out. Getting the political blood boiling is often enough to pace out a couple more laps or km a little faster. You could call it an I'm PO'd. This is Washington, Land of Stupidity and Waste. Lots of anger and incredulity to go around. I can also get the local rock and classics stations for a little change.

 

4. Podcasts - Exercise podcasts. A couple of the best I have used are the PodRunner and PodRunner Intervals programs. Podrunner programs follow themes.

 

Podrunner - Listed in iTunes. each program is timed and features a DJ performance at a specified pace. The goal is to increase pace and endurance over time, so there are a progression of beat and time based programs.

 

Podrunner Intervals - Listed in iTunes, for time and range of pace, timed (and announced) fast and slow intervals. Five minutes warmup/cooldown. Five minute alternating fast, medium and slow tempo intervals with the goal of specific length foot races. If the pace is 140 bpm you will be cycling about 70 rpm.

 

In iTunes look up the PodRunner podcast page and check out some of the other cross-referenced podcasts offered by others in the "listeners also subscribed to" box on the right side.

 

Ultima Thule - Australian. Often ethereal themed mixes. May be contemplative or beat mixed. 90 minute programs.

 

Music for Midnight – 30 minute programs

 

Caribbean Chill – 60 minute programs

 

5. Internet radio - Players;

Microsoft Windows Media Player - This is where I started. Nice basic list. Variety is limited. 90% professional sources. Does OK. Not updated often.

 

WinAmp - More extensive list. Lots of ShoutCast 'casts. Both professional and specialized amateur stations.

 

iTunes - Good list that is updated often. Better then the other two in my opinion.

 

Pandora (browser based) - Custom programs from the Music Genome Project. You create format "radio" stations, ie. Rammstein Radio or ZZ Top Radio, and MGP algorithms will search for alternate artists and songs that meet the criteria of the station. To cut down on the processing overhead look for the Pandora DeskTop Tool. I guess it could be considered a radio player with one station and many playlist formats.

 

An option I prefer is a low overhead, dedicated internet radio player. The two I keep on my desktop are Nexus and Screamer. Both are available from Download.com and probably Tucows.com. I like Download. They guaranty clean downloads. There are other players, but these two meet my needs without complication. I don't have to open a more complicated media player where radio is low priority (read: no sales) content and wade through menus and tables. Both of these utilities employ updated, catagorized station lists. As a bonus both will record streams in a variety of formats - Ogg, AAC, WMA,  MP3 - that can be transferred to a digital player or a flash disk stick. Often track tags are preserved. The internet and local ISP service is still not bombproof stable. Buffering sometimes breaks up the playback when traffic is heavy. My broadband goes down or slows down sometimes. I have found that there are occasions when a stream will open with one player, but not with another. Good reason to have several radio players.

 

Content;

Soma FM family of stations - Groove Salad, Secret Agent

Virgin Radio Classic (Absolute) from London.

107 Radio Jackie from London

Monkey Radio

Metal Express

ChronX Metal

The SKY FM family of stations - Bossa Nova Jazz, Datempo Lounge, World Music

Chill - helpmechill.com (Screamer)

Today's Nexus Radio database lists 8420 stations, Screamer has thousands catagorized as well. You should be able to find something for any workout.

Don't forget some of the comedy stations. Nothing like laughing at an old Richard Pryor or Rodney Dangerfield routine. Most are best for cardio days. Not good to lose it laughing while holding 150 pounds above your chest.

You want a driving beat for cardio try some of the dance/featured DJ stations.

  

6. TV/DVD's - While they rarely help keep up a pace, they can keep your mind occupied. 24, Heroes, CSI, Boston Legal, PBS Nova. I use an antenna and recently got a DTV tuner. The local NBC affiliate airs the Universal Sports channel on their third digital channel.  It is also available on cable and satellite. They run a lot of sports like cycling, track meets, and Olympics the coverage you never saw on network TV. Some of it really inspires me to get off my butt and try to duplicate even 10% of the skill, ability and dedication shown.

 

DVDs – The classics. NO CHICK FLICKS. Rambo, Rocky, Blade Runner, Terminator, Crouching Tiger. Miracle is the best sports film of all time. I’d like to get a copy of Pumping Iron just for laughs. Any other Schwartzenegger, Stallone (Except for Cop Land. He put on a lot of lard for the role and nearly had a heart attack), Dolf Lundgren, Rutger Hauer, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Bruce Lee, The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), that little guy from Belgium ... van Damm, etc. Anything too brainy or weepy and you will be less inclined to work. Many of the movies mentioned are not exactly Academy Award winners. You want action and great physical specimens for inspiration. I’m sorry I cannot in good conscience recommend Steven Segal. Some of his fights are fun, it’s just that he is an utter, one expression, preachy, doofus and more than 10 minutes will make you want to tear your eyes out in penance.