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If 30 minutes on a cardio machine seems like an eternity, more-entertaining exercise equipment might help you pass the time.

Treadmills, stationary bicycles, ellipticals and rowing machines get your heart rate up, but they can make for a boring workout, a fitness equipment store owner concedes.

"You're not going anywhere," La Monte Hunley, co-owner of Arizona Health LLC, said in describing the experience of exercising on stationary equipment. "The mind-set of us humans is we're always on the go."

For years home cardio machines have sported fans, book and magazine trays and water-bottle holders to make exercise more comfortable. Now manufacturers are hoping entertainment options and engaging experiences will encourage exercise balkers to buy the boredom-busting machines.

"They think it's a good selling point," said Mike Chiovari, fitness specialist at Sports Authority in Oro Valley.

A visit to both stores offered a look at what's available.

Sights and sounds. Several treadmill and elliptical models sport docking ports with built-in speakers for MP3 players so exercisers can listen to their play lists without messing with ear buds.

The Reebok 9500 ES treadmill ($1,499.99 at Sports Authority) and the ProFormPerspective treadmill and elliptical ($1,499.99 and $999.99, respectively, on www.sports authority.com) additionally have a 7-inch flat screen to which you can hook up cable television or a DVD player for personal viewing.

A "cardio theater" screen and speakers can be added to Precor equipment sold at Arizona Health for $800 to $1,000. Cable television, a DVD player or a computer can be hooked up to the 12-inch LCD screen.

Games. The ProForm I-Series 800 Elliptical ($599.99 at Sports Authority) has two games to play to divert your attention while exercising.

Upright and recumbent bicycles by Reebok ($349.99 and $449.99, respectively, at Sports Authority) have Tetris-like and Space Invaders-like games, as well as poker and blackjack, that are easier to win the faster you pedal.

The Expresso Fitness bike ($5,200 at Arizona Health) with its 17- or 19-inch LCD screen and realistic handlebar movement encourages kids to gather coins and dragons in a game in which the faster they pedal, the more quickly they can score points. Adults can complete one of more than 30 courses in virtual settings varying from city roads to forested mountains. A pacer, which can be a pre-programmed rider, your personal best or a friend's time, adds competitive challenges.

Interactivity. Expresso bicycles can connect to a Web site (www.expresso.net) to gain access to your workout stats such as miles ridden, best times and calories burned. It allows you to download more courses, create pacers and participate in forums.

Web, DVD and video programs by iFIT (www.ifit.com) work with certain models of ProForm, Reebok, NordicTrack, Image and HealthRider machines. Customized programs based on your fitness level and goals provide workouts that might include music, a voice-over of an encouraging personal trainer and a virtual landscape.

Both systems require paid subscriptions.

Realism. Vision Fitness and Precor treadmills are among those that automatically speed up or slow down the treadbelt based on your heart rate as measured with a chest monitor, simulating the intensity you might exert at any moment for fat-burning or cardio workouts.

Some treadmills allow you to customize courses, so you can enter a neighborhood walk or a hike up Mount Lemmon, for instance.

For those willing to shell out thousands for equipment, Precor's Adaptive Motion Trainer, or AMT 100i (a pricey $7,999 at Arizona Health), is like an elliptical that responds instantly to your body's movements. You can simulate activities from stair-climbing to 27-inch strides in any combination.

First Degree Fitness' Fluid Rower ($1,599-$1,899 at Arizona Health) uses water instead of a flywheel to create resistance. A traditional rower provides the same level of resistance throughout the movement. The Fluid Rower uses a container to displace water during the movement just like a real oar stroke does, making the movement easier at the end. Plus, the water sound adds a bit of realism.