Winter is that time of year where curling up on the couch with warm blanket and a hot drink in hand sounds pretty inviting…here are a few ideas to get you going and keep your couch time down!
Admittedly, staying in shape over the colder months may be a bit more of a challenge and take a little more dedication. We have heard all the excuses, but the reality is that there are so many indoor exercise options to help you stay in shape through the winter months.
JOIN A GYM – Gyms always provide a wide variety of exercise options to suit your needs. Many also run promotions over the winter months which is a great way to stay motivated and keep on track with your exercise regime. Go that one step further and invest in a personal trainer to motivate and inspire you to be maintain your health and have you feeling the best you every have when the warmer days’ return!
INDOOR SPORTS – If the gym is not your thing, indoor sports might be for you. Many sports can be played indoors, including basketball, volleyball and soccer to just name a few. Investigate in your local area and see if there are any teams you can join to stay active. This is a great option if you have friends who are also looking to stay in shape over the winter. Having exercise buddies is a great way to keep you accountable and committed to an activity especially when the weather is cold and miserable.
MIND/BODY CLASSES – Activities such as Pilates and Yoga are always popular options over the winter months. They are often available at halls, studios, gyms and recreation centres. These activities may assist with improving balance, posture and flexibility. They may also help you to relax and wind down at the same time.
AQUA SPORTS TRAINING – Do you live near an indoor heated pool? Many pools offer aqua classes / sports for you to participate in. Training in water is low impact with a low risk of injury so it is a great way to add variety to your workout routine.
WORKOUT AT HOME – Not feeling the gym, or can’t face the cold weather? Work out at home! The options are endless.
One thing I like to do is grab a deck of cards and assign an exercise to each suit. Then, one at a time I flip the cards. The suit tells me which exercise to do and the number on the card tells me the number of reps. An example could be…
- Hearts – Burpees
- Spades – Push Ups
- Diamonds – Sit Ups
- Clubs – Body weight squats
Try it for yourself. I can guarantee by the time you reach the end of the deck you would have had a pretty awesome workout!
These are just some of the ways that can help you stay in shape over winter. You might have your own to add, but if you are struggling, give these a go and have yourself feeling amazing! By not letting you regular exercise regime become non-existent, you are already ahead of the game when it comes to spring!
Stacey Rogers
Strength Coach & Nutritionist
Shredded Strength Institute