10 Tips for staying fit during winter
In cold weather, it sometimes feels just too much effort to get out the door and get some exercise. Without the warmth of the sunshine you are limited on what activities you can do, being limited to mainly cold weather activities. But there are ways that you can keep yourself in shape and active, no matter what the temperature outside.
1. Keep yourself healthy
The most important thing to do to keep yourself in good working order is to keep yourself healthy. This goes beyond physical activities and looks more toward your diet and lifestyle habits. Comfort foods are precisely that: comfort. You can definitely indulge yourself every now and then, but if you overindulge, you might find yourself working extra hard to lose some built-up winter pounds in the meantime. Keep up a well-balanced diet, resisting the urge to binge on junk food. You should also make sure you are resting enough and drinking enough water. This can help stave off any winter illnesses that might be going around, helping you keep your health in as good a shape as possible.
2. Slip in exercise where you can
Add in exercise when and where you can. This can be as simple as parking your car several blocks away from work and walking in, mixing in extra steps when shopping, or planning on meeting your friends for a short walk through a park instead of meeting up at a bakery.
3. Join a gym
This is not always the favorite idea for a lot of people, but it does give you the space and access to different types of fitness aids while keeping you indoors. This means that there are cardio trainers and weights for sure, but most fitness centers also offer classes and swimming, giving you more options than just running on a treadmill.
4. Get cold weather gear
If you are more of an outside person and really can’t see yourself finding exercise indoors enjoyable, you can still venture outside. Depending on the type of exercise you enjoy, you can get the right clothes to perform it in any weather. Layers are usually the key to performing any exercise well, but the amount and thickness needed varies. You will also need to consider the wet and snow if that is a factor and dress accordingly.
5. Find a fitness buddy
Sometimes working out is a lot easier if you can do it with a friend, in any weather. You can look for groups that might have similar interests that you have and find activities that you would enjoy. Keeping your body moving in any way possible is what will help you when the winter ends and you can get back to the type of activities that you like to do in the warm weather. Whether you meet up with people somewhere else or you join a group or a club, you can find people with similar interests to try to stay fit with.
6. See what is online
There are a lot of fitness videos that you can stream online. No matter what type of exercise you like to do, there are a ton of options out there. Some people really don’t have the space to workout at home, but some of the workouts move only a little bit, giving you options even in small spaces. These can be hard to do, but can help keep you moving when you can’t get out of the house to do anything else. Sometimes these can be slipped in as well if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands.
7. Do a good job of warming up
The cold weather means that your body will take a bit longer to warm up than it would have otherwise. If you want to keep yourself in working order, you need to take that into consideration before you venture out for a workout. Get your blood moving first. This means you can do jumping jacks, running in place, and some stretches before you get yourself moving. Otherwise, you might find that your workouts are not only not as great as usual, but you are running the risk of injuring yourself.
8. Create a new routine
One of the best things that you can do for yourself is to start a new routine. Regardless of whether you would like to work out indoors or outdoors, or take a class or follow videos, you need to make it part of your daily routine. Having something that is just part of your day will make it easier to do. It is easier to get out of bed and motivate yourself to move and do your exercises if you know that it is just what you do every morning to keep yourself healthy.
9. De-stress your life
Another key way to keep yourself fit and healthy in the winter is to reduce the amount of stress that is in your life. It can seem impossible if you have a full schedule, but you can start small. Try finding a short activity to do to help you relax before you go to bed. That can be watching a show, reading a book, or doing a little bit of yoga in order to help yourself de-stress to get good sleep. You should also make sure that you have some “you” time somewhere in your schedule. It will help with your mental health as well as your physical health.
10. Start a food log
You can also document the food that you eat daily to see where you can make some improvements. You might be surprised to see what it is you eat on a daily basis. Don’t think that you are overeating and surpassing your calorie content. You might find out that you should be eating more than you realize. Or you might find out that you have been eating empty calories and find that you can cut some out and still keep your fitness level up.
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