It’s that time of year again; peppermint lattes are in full swing, and sweater weather is all around us. Winter workouts at home allow us to retain the magic of this time without getting carried away.
Let’s face it, holiday gatherings, parties, dinners, and potlucks become more abundant as the temperature drops. As delicious as these events may be, it’s how we easily stack on extra pounds. On top of that, many people have a hard time maintaining their fitness journey as the weather grows colder and the sunlight hours start to dwindle, and exercising outside starts to lose its magical appeal.
However, you don’t need to fall into a weight gain trap that the holidays are known for. Stop hibernating and start getting your body moving!
The good news is that you can both love the holidays and the way your body looks and feels – at the same time! With easy, low-impact indoor workouts, you can continue stretching and strengthening your body, no matter how cold and snowy it may be outside.
No more excuses!
We have gathered six of the best indoor winter workouts at home that will help you stay slim, muscular, energized, and healthy even on the most wintery of winter days.
6 Winter Workouts at Home
- Yoga
Yoga is one of those workouts anyone can do at any age or stage in their life. Whether you’re a teenager learning how to stretch and use your body or over 50 trying to address joint or mobility issues—anyone can step into yoga. You don’t have to be an advanced practitioner to enjoy the benefits of yoga, and even beginners can start seeing and feeling an improvement in their health and fitness in no time. Yoga is an excellent option if you’re working out indoors. Plus, it doesn’t require any specialized, expensive equipment and is a quiet workout, so apartment dwellers can easily practice it daily without being disruptive to others around them.
Practicing yoga allows you to enjoy improved mobility, flexibility, strength, balance, harmony, and more through gentle, joint-friendly, low-impact motions. As you practice, you can focus on meditative and mindful mental exercises to help workout your emotional well-being while you focus on your physical well-being.
Anyone can get started on a beginner’s yoga workout they can do from their living room.
- Swimming
One of the best low-impact workouts you can do is swimming, particularly if you have stiff, painful joints or are overweight. The water helps support your whole body weight, so you can burn plenty of calories and have satisfying winter workouts at home without any pain.
Try to swim at least three times a week for 20 minutes for best results.
- Pilates
Work your body using a series of controlled, decisive movements that help stabilize and strengthen your core. The primary aim of Pilates is to treat your core muscles like the trunk of a strong oak tree. As your limbs move around, the trunk stays anchored and resilient. Keeping a forceful core allows you to remain stable and balanced while burning calories.
Pilates welcomes beginners and seniors, and there are many fantastic online series you can look into.
- Tai Chi
This centuries-old Chinese martial art is also a form of meditation. Maybe you’ve seen practitioners enjoying Tai Chi in the park and noticed its gentle, flowing motions. Tai Chi is a great way to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.
Additionally, Tai Chi can improve your coordination, balance, lower your blood pressure, help you sleep better, and much more. Since this workout is so gentle, anyone can enjoy this—regardless of their age or fitness level. This is great fun for the whole family!
- Body Conditioning
Also known as circuit training or resistance training, these endurance training exercises help targets muscular endurance and strength training through a series of workouts that target major muscle groups with little downtime between each set. Such high-intensity activities keep your heart rate elevated so you can burn calories while getting stronger!
If you can’t make it to the gym, many online videos show you how to condition your body from the comfort of your living room.
- Walking
Walking is a simple, gentle workout that offers the same benefits as running without any knee or joint pain that can come with it. If you’ve been primarily sedentary during hibernation season, walking can be a great way to improve your fitness levels gradually. You can start with a short 15-minute walk and gradually increase your daily exercise. Spending a little time outdoors is an excellent way to get some fresh air and necessary vitamin D.
If you can, consider investing in a treadmill—especially if you live in a snowy, icy area. That way, you can walk all winter long without worrying about slippery surfaces.
You’re not to blame for wanting to sleep your way through the colder months, but your fitness and well-being do not hibernate over the holidays.
Keep your winter padding under control and stay on top of your physical health by following our winter workouts at home. For more winter fitness tips, read on.
