Cardio Workouts for Fun Loving

The average person should get 20 to 30 minutes of exercise, three to five times per week, according to the American Heart Association. Due to the long, monotonous and often exhausting nature of aerobic exercise, it's more often than not considered more work than fun. Making aerobic exercise competitive, social or a means to another end, such as improving sports performance, will help turn cardio exercises into more fun than work.
Competitive Exercises
Whether you are competing against a clock, best friend or family member, adding competition to your aerobic exercises can make them fun.
Use a heart rate monitor to see who can burn more calories during a workout, maintain the highest average heart rate or stay in their target heart rate the longest. If you're competing against yourself, set weekly goals, raising the bar in heart rate, calories burned and number of minutes worked.
Distance Exercises
Set a 15-, 20- or 30-minute time limit on exercise, then calculate the number of swim laps, cycling circuits, track laps or other distances you can do in that time period without going out of your target heart rate. If you are competing against yourself, set weekly goals, increasing your times and distances so you can see improvement.
Dancing
Many forms of dancing are perfect for aerobic exercise if done long enough and at the right intensity. Learn the jitterbug, swing dance or other partner dances not only for fun, but for exercise, too. Dances like the twist can be done without a partner, letting you program your favorite music and have fun while you sweat to the beat.
Circuit Training
Variety is the spice of life and switching your exercises every few minutes prevents the boredom that comes from using a treadmill or exercise bike. Aerobic circuit training exercises can include exercises done with dumbbells, resistance bands, exercise machines and bodyweight exercises.
After your warm up, start with calisthenics like jumping jacks and jump rope. Keep the pace up as you grab your dumbbells and move to biceps curls, flyes, triceps extensions and other resistance exercises. Get down on the floor and keep your heart rate up with sit-ups, crunches and push-ups. Now it's time to hop on your exercise bike or treadmill. Take a few minutes between sets in your circuit to lower your heart rate a bit so you train your body's recovery mechanisms which will help you build endurance.
Social Exercises
If you're a people person, the same exercises you can't stand in your living room may be more fun if you do them in a room with a group of others. Many gyms and fitness centers allow you to try workouts as a guest. A trial group workout class may show you that social interaction is what's been lacking in your search for fun cardio exercises.