With temperatures plummeting faster than a bodybuilder dropping a 120kg barbell, it can be off-putting to go out and make it to the gym. It seems tempting to just stay in snuggled up in bed or on the sofa with some chocolate and pizza. However, winter shouldn’t be your time to hibernate at home.
Staying active during Winter is beneficial in so many ways. With the right attitude and mix of exercises, winter can be a great way to get creative and have fun with your exercise routine – some of them may not even feel like exercises! Staying active in Winter is also a great way in beating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which can affect a lot of people at this time of year. Here are some ideas for staying active this winter.
Setting some goals
These don’t have to be big New Year’s resolution-style goals (that’s for later), but they can be mini goals to keep you moving. It can even be revisiting and planning your goals for staying active. Either way, having micro-goals can be beneficial and can be addictive! Even if we are moving toward our goal, the pleasure centre in the brain is activated, so we strive to achieve more.
Home Workouts
If you don’t fancy leaving the house during Winter, don’t just sit in-front of the laptop bingeing on Netflix and chillin’. You can always be inspired to do home exercises from YouTube or Instagram, or pop in a home workout DVD to whichever workout you fancy! Home workouts are convenient (and fun!) to staying on track with your fitness goals. Just be sure to make yourself enough room so that you don’t have a mishap!
Outdoor Activities
On nice winter days when you don’t go to the gym but are still want to get out and about, there are still ways to keep active this winter. If cold weather doesn’t bother you and you can brave it, going for a jog or run is a great way to raise your heart rate. But remember to wear the appropriate winter-wear and stay hydrated, as cold weather can make you dehydrated. Also, if you’re fortunate enough to have some winter sun, going out for a winter walk can be beneficial – the vitamin D can boost your mood so you don’t feel the winter blues.
If you’re lucky enough to have had snow, sledding is another fun activity! Striding up and down the slopes can keep you warm whilst you’re out. Furthermore, with many towns opening outdoor ice rinks, ice skating in town is a great aerobic and social workout. Whether you’re a competitive figure skater or even if you look like Bambi on ice, it’s a fun activity to do this winter!
Indoor Activities
If you do fancy going to the gym but are bored of the standard treadmill or weights, consider an exercise class! You can also challenge yourself by trying a new indoor activity which you’ve not done before! Group exercise classes are a great way to meet new people and get fit and you might be a natural at the class too – You never know until you’ve tried it! You can always pop along to your local Simply Gym and take part in any of our great classes. From dynamic and heart-pumping classes like Zumba, Indoor Cycling, and HIIT to more relaxed exercises like Yoga and Pilates classes, there are a variety of classes you can challenge yourself to trying this winter.
Look for your local Simply Gym for more information on which classes are conducted at each one. Why not try something new to stay active this winter!
