I know cardio's good for me but I genuinely dread it and end up skipping. For those who actually enjoy it (or at least tolerate it), how do you make conditioning something you'll actually do consistently?
Pick something you don't hate and make it social or distracting. Walking with a podcast, cycling outdoors, a sport, hiking, rucking. The 'best' cardio is the one you'll actually repeat, not the most efficient one you'll quit in a week.
I've been forcing myself onto a treadmill I loathe.
There's your problem. Hating it guarantees you'll skip it. Find a mode you tolerate or enjoy and the consistency sorts itself out.
Make it useful and it stops feeling like a chore - walk or cycle to places, play a sport, hike somewhere nice. Cardio with a purpose beyond 'burn calories' is way easier to keep doing. I do recreational football and barely notice it's cardio.
Gamify it - track steps, set little distance or time goals, follow a couch-to-5k style plan. Progress and a target make dull cardio engaging. And music/podcasts make steady-state fly by. Distraction is your friend.
Honestly a walking buddy or a dog changed it for me - it became social time, not exercise. Accountability plus enjoyment means I never skip the daily walk now.
Great ideas - ditch the treadmill I hate, make it social/useful, gamify with goals, add podcasts. Going to try cycling and daily walks with a podcast. Cheers everyone.