Maintaining a routine during the cold winter months can be challenging with shorter days and holiday parties. Our winter fitness ideas can help you stay healthy and fit all winter long.
According to a recent study, vigorous exercise outdoors during winter could actually burn more fat than working out indoors since it takes energy just to keep your body warm.
6 Winter Fitness Ideas To Help You Stay Active All Year Round
Maintain Goals for Yourself
Remind yourself why you want to stay in shape.
Do you have a goal weight? Are you trying to be healthier? Do you want to take long walks with your dog? Enjoy playing with your children or grandchildren?
When you exercise with a goal in mind, it can inspire you to step outside of your comfort zone (or at least away from your couch!)
Try Exercising Indoors
When it’s cold, dark, and wet outside, it might be pretty impossible to work up a sweat during the winter months. That doesn’t mean you have to shelf the activity entirely! There are many ways you can stay both warm and active.
For example, you can take a class at the gym, walk laps indoors at a mall, lift weights, follow an exercise video at home, or just dance in the comfort of your own living room. You can challenge yourself to have fun doing so, it makes it easier to stick with a routine.
Take Advantage of Winter Activities
Exercising indoors is a great alternative to being outside, but if you’re healthy enough and enjoy winter sports, why not be adventurous and try ice skating, cross-country skiing, even shoveling snow can get your heart rate going.
Even better, you can enjoy a blend of indoor and outdoor activities to keep healthy and your immune system strong.
Get a Workout Buddy
Go through your list of family and friends and set up a fitness date. Meeting someone at the gym or for a fitness class leaves you more likely to follow through. Instead of a coffee date, ask a friend to take a nice walk with you or sign-up for a yoga class.
Step outside of your comfort levels by learning a new dance together or exploring strength training. If you don’t have an exercise partner that likes a challenge, try finding one on Strava, a great workout app that allows you to connect with other users and possibly train together! Even personal trainers can help you hit winter workouts.
Put It on Your Calendar
Making a vague commitment in your head to hit the gym means your mental note can be easily hidden by a busy schedule. Noting it in your calendar puts it on your daily schedule and also highlights your fitness goals.
Setting habits can help you increase your confidence, improve your health, and inspire you to be more mindful. You can log your fitness journey (and any other habits) in this highly-acclaimed habit journal to help you reach your goals.
Don’t Let Your Time Dictate Your Needs
In this day and age, everyone is busy. Therefore, being busy is not an excuse to ignore your health and well-being. Exercising doesn’t have to take a long time or be painful. If all you want to do is take a stroll around the block every day, that’s great!
Push yourself to take the stairs when you could take an elevator, park your car further than you usually would and walk a little extra, dance along with the music while sweeping your floor. There are so many ways you can include a little workout in your daily life.
Winter months can be nostalgic and full of cheer, but you don’t need to hibernate like a bear. You can remain active and energetic with a fun physical activity. Experts recommend exercising for at least thirty minutes every day. However, if you can’t maintain thirty minutes, even five to ten are better than none.
Check out our other winter fitness ideas to keep you inspired and rocking your body all season long.
If your goal is to be healthy and happy, then keep moving and stay safe!
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