There are many things I dislike about exercise, but what I hate most is the music in gyms. Aerobics classes, kickboxing, zoomba, everything involves music for the dull-minded masses. It's usually extremely stupid pop or dance tunes, and I simply cannot stand this torture. I listen to alternative and rock music on iPod, and the mere thought of performing various dance moves to the sound of Britney, Shakira, Rhianna or whatever it is they force-feed to yours ears - sounds like a nightmare.

I wish we had gyms like http://punkrockaerobics.com/ in my country. But unfortunately we don't.

Any suggestions? Here are the sports I've already tried and grew bored of:

1. Speed-walking with my iPod. If I do it 4 times a week like the doctors prescribe, it turns very, very tedious.

2. Swimming. Got a music player that works underwater. Boring as hell.

Any thoughts, suggestions?

Get some videos to do at home. Turn down the volume on the tv and listen to your own music? TRY to develop a tolerance for the "stupid" music? It does at least have a beat to it...that's a plus. I get what you're saying because I'm definitely not into much of the newer stuff, but I can usually tolerate it because I know it's helping to get my heart rate up and to help me keep time with the class.

I just keep remembering gym class where we all had to count. I felt like a moron counting 1...2...3...4, etc. for every jumping jack and push up we did.

Good luck! I hope you find a solution that works for you!

"TRY to develop a tolerance for the "stupid" music?" - perhaps a lobotomy would help? Seriously, this isn't going to happen. I rather weigh 500 lbs than having to listen to pop music. It's not just that this music is bad, it represents the exact opposite of what I stand for.

"Get some videos to do at home" - are there any exercise videos that use alternative or rock music? The gym I linked is the only one I know of. Do you know of any video like that?

They played easy listening where I used to work out and I hated it. I love "stupid" music! Nothing can get my ass moving like some Britney Spears!

Well, I'm not the source for anything based on alternative music! LOL I've edited this because I came across as snarky, which was not my intention.

I hope you find some videos that use alternative music. I wouldn't know alternative music if it jumped on my head. I'm more into old rock and roll, which tells you that I'm way older than you!

Good luck.

I've always hated the music they play in gyms and exercise classes, too... but I don't think you're going to find a lot of "alternative" music on exercise videos or in typical exercise classes. Sounds like there might be a niche market there--hmm.... You might approach one or more of the instructors at your neighborhood gym to see if they might include an exercise class or a workout block (like a 2-hour block of time) which would use different music. Some of these places have multiple stations available to them, while some are contracted through a particular service that provides only the "pop" style or whatever they've currently got. Doesn't hurt to inquire!

Meantime, why not figure out how to use your own music and develop a routine that isn't routine? You can alternate activities or work out a schedule so that you don't get bored with doing the same thing over and over--maybe hike one day, bicycle the next, swim the next, Nautilus circuit the next, etc. If you put together a series of playlists on your iPod or whatever you have, you can make them all for around an hour or a half hour (whichever your workouts tend to be), and you'll always be set with acceptable music for whatever activity you're planning. I understand that would put you into a solitary sort of exercise pattern; that's why I suggest speaking with the instructors and/or management at your local gyms to see if they might be open to switching music for blocks of time to cater to different tastes.

Good luck!

Maybe you can get some audio books for your iPod. Dale Carnige's 'How to Win Friends & Influence People' is an excellent read.