How to Exercise in Winter

For many people, the main reason not to exercise is due to a lack of time. Among the other reasons, cold winter weather is at the top of the list. It is not surprising because the shortest period of daylight, cold temperature and bad weather affects our mood in a bad way. The real challenge during the winter months is how to stay motivated and continue exercising. To find out a way to motivate ourselves, we have to consider the possibilities for training that is available during the winter. Many people feel good when exercising outdoors and are the fans of winter sports such as skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing and other activities. However, some people are not impressed with winter sports, but they need fresh air, too. Exercising outdoors should not mean doing strenuous training. A brisk walk or casual walk with a friend or a dog can help us feel better and boost our mood. To get ideas about the type of exercise we can perform indoors, the article “Stuck Inside? Indoor Workout Ideas” offers the following suggestions.

Upper body Option
Repeat 5-10 times recommended

Jumping Jacks or jump rope 30 seconds
a) pushups – 10 (use knee pushups or do wide, close, regular hand placement)
b) reverse pushups – 20 (life your hands off the floor – flexing upper back)
c) Birds – 20 (lift arms up and down like you were flying like a bird)
d) Chair dips – 10-20

Rest with Crunches / Plank Pose:
a) Regular Crunch – 20 (just lift shoulder blades off of floor)
b) Reverse Crunch – 20 (just lift hips off of floor)
c) Double Crunch – 20 (Lift both hips and shoulder blades off of floor)
d) Left Crunch – 20 (Right elbow to the left knee)
e) Right Crunch – 20 (Left elbow to the right knee)
f) Bicycle crunch – 20 (10 to the left and 10 to the right alternating Left/Right crunches)
g) Plank pose hold for 30-60 seconds – build up for 3-5 minutes

Exercising in the winter is not beneficial only to our mood, but also to keep our bodies in good health. According to medical experts, exercising in winter is even more important than exercising in other seasons. Namely, our blood vessels tighten because of the cold weather; consequently, our heart health suffers when we frequently change our environment from cold to hot and vice versa. Experts recommend exercising in winter because every type of workout will affect our circulation in a good way and keep our blood vessels elastic. Furthermore, exercising also improves our immunity and can prevent us from catching the flu or cold. If we cannot exercise three or more times during the week in a gym, we still can use every opportunity to do some fitness. We can use the stairs instead of the elevator, make a city walk instead of driving, or do some indoor activities like house cleaning, vacuuming, etc. Whatever we choose, it is important to stay persistent and keep a routine. And when the early signs of a new spring are about to come, we will be ready to continue with outdoor activities with a full strength.