Five Easy Ways of Exercising More This Winter

We hear it time and time again, exercise will help you avoid getting sick this flu season. But that doesn’t make it any easier to get out of a toasty warm bed in the morning. The wonderful thing about exercise is a little bit goes a long way! Studies show that as little as 15 minutes of moderate exercise per day is enough to reduce your risk of heart disease later in life. Maintaining fitness for your overall health’s sake doesn’t have to be difficult when the cold weather sets in. Here are 5 easy ways of finding 30 this winter.

1. Go for a walk
It’s free, it’s suitable for all levels of fitness, and it’s enough to get your blood flowing and heart pumping first thing in the morning. The great thing about walking is that it can be done anywhere, at any time! Include extra walking in your day by parking your car a little farther from the office, or swapping the escalator for the stairs on your daily commute.

2. Try something new
Winter doesn’t just mean cold weather, it also marks a change of season. New seasons of indoor sports commence, new class schedules at your gym. Embrace the change in season and see it as an opportunity to give your current exercise regime a bit of a refresh. Switching your exercise regime from running to indoor volley ball for example could have you use muscles that were previously neglected or not as heavily relied on during your runs.

3. Stay social
While it’s easy to want to cuddle up inside with a bag of snacks and binge watch the latest show on Netflix when the temperature drops, this isn’t all that beneficial for your health. Staying connected with friends and family is even more important during the cooler months because it drives you to MOVE. Find a work out buddy who will commit to staying active during winter with you OR simply use catching up with a friend as motivation to get you out of bed on a rainy day.

4. Get familiar with the unknown
Get out of your comfort zone (and comfortable track pants) where ever possible during the cooler months. Motivation to move is significantly lower in winter, therefore actively forcing yourself to do things that you might not initially will reap excellent long term benefits. The best thing about winter, is it doesn’t last forever, but too often habits that are formed in the cooler months tend to stick around long after the rain has gone.

5. Play like a kid!
If all else fails, get outside! Embrace the cold weather, and whatever else comes with it – rain, hail, snow (if you’re lucky enough) Think about how you felt about playing in the rain as a child, with curiosity and awe. A little rain never hurt nobody! But a sedentary lifestyle with little to no exercise, certainly will!