Must Try Winter Exercises to Help You Stay Fit

Must Try Winter Exercises to Help You Stay Fit

Simplistic, Doable Winter Exercises

Massive amounts of food, constantly being inside and incessant hibernation leave many of us feeling the winter weight gain. It doesn’t have to be that way… Check out these must-try winter exercises to get you up and active!

Stay fit with these winter exercises…

Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to keep your fitness levels up. After all, exercising regularly should be a year-round routine, not something you do when the weather is perfect.

Besides, wintertime also happens to be when the holidays are in full swing.

This means there’s a great chance that you’re experiencing the notorious holiday weight gain.

To keep that weight off when the weather is chilly, there are some fun winter exercises that you could try. To help you out, here are some great exercising ideas to enjoy when it’s snowy outside.

Must Try Winter Exercises to Help You Stay Fit1. Walking

Something as simple as walking is now recommended as a preventive strategy against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Taking long walks may be the simplest way to stay fit during wintertime as it is an innate human behavior. But walking in cold weather may give your metabolism the boost it needs to stay fit.

According to a study published in Sports Medicine, exercising in cold weather result in greater fat metabolism. The body needs to adapt to cold environments by boosting the resting metabolic rate, and the result of this is greater fat burning when exercise is done in the cold.

2. Yoga

Yoga is a simple and accessible type of physical activity that you can easily do from the comfort of your home. Anyone can do yoga without risking injury and discomfort.

Those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis may find this type of workout perfectly suitable as arthritis symptoms tend to worsen during cold and humid weather.

Studies show that yoga is just as effective or even better than other forms of exercise in improving overall health and levels of fitness. So, if you had any worries that yoga was too gentle of a workout to keep you fit, know that this is simply not the case.

3. Skiing

What better way to rejoice in the joys of winter than to participate in winter sports such as skiing? Skiing is a great way to spend more time outdoors during winter, and that also involves friends and family.

However, do be cautious with this type of activity as injuries do happen when skiing. To lower your risks of injuries, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons suggests warming up, staying hydrated, adhering to safety rules, and knowing your limits when it comes to selecting your ski runs.

Also, make sure to wear appropriate protective gear if you plan to make skiing a part of your winter exercise option.

4. Hiking

Hiking is one of those outdoorsy activities that are especially fun in winter. There are plenty of national parks and other nature resorts with hiking trails to choose from.

Other than getting plenty of fresh air and physical activity from hiking, you also get the emotional benefits that go with the experience.

The therapeutic effect of spending time in a natural setting is now well-known and other than improving mental well-being, time in nature was also found to provide protection against cancer according to research studies that found an increase in natural killer cells after subjects spent some time in wooden areas.

5. Swimming

If you have access to indoor pools or thermal springs, then there’s no reason not to swim when the weather is chilly. Swimming flexes all major muscle groups and joints in your body and is very easy to do as it takes a load of gravity away. This is especially beneficial for those suffering from any type of arthritis.

Must Try Winter Exercises to Help You Stay FitA study that was published last year in the Journal of Rheumatology found that swimming reduced pain and improve joint functioning in middle-aged adults with osteoarthritis.

But swimming is also a great winter option for weight management and improving cardiovascular health.

6. Treadmill running

Running outside when the ground is covered in snow is a bit risky. Even if you have the right equipment, you never know where there’s a patch of frozen ground hiding underneath all that pile of snow.

If you’d like to go for a run without the risk of fractures, you can always hit the treadmill at your local gym. This is especially a great option if you’re not an outdoorsy person and don’t like getting cold when you’re trying to work out.

Wrap-Up

Staying fit during winter shouldn’t be hard if you have the will and the way to exercise.

There are plenty of exercise options out there, and they don’t require perfect weather conditions to be done correctly. The ones listed here are best to get you motivated when the weather is cold and gloomy.

Which one you should choose, of course, depends on your personal preferences and lifestyle.

But all are great to keep your fitness levels up while you wait for the cold winter months to be finally over.

Vivian Michaels is a fitness instructor from Philadelphia, USA. He has a sincere desire to help people achieve their individual fitness goals, regardless of experience level or current level of fitness. He also loves to blog about Fitness and Technology industry. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, Pinterest, Stumbleupon
Vivian Michaels
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Must Try Winter Exercises to Help You Stay Fit