If your favourite winter outdoor activity is going back inside, we have news for you. We would like to both inspire and motivate you take a new look at the benefits of exercising during winter.

Why exercise?

Do you love to spend the winters indoors in a dormant condition, hibernating like a bear? You are not alone, many people do. You may want to change your mind, however, once you have experienced the many benefits of exercising throughout winter. You don’t even have to put a toe out of doors if you don’t want to!

Benefits of winter exercises

Check out these winter exercise benefits:

    • Winter exercises will chase the winter blues away, crank up your energy and decrease tension, frustration and depression.
    • Winter exercises will boost the production of feel-good hormones, endorphins, and give you a lift.
    • Exercising in the cold burns more kilojoules, so preventing winter weight gain, and you’ll have a super lean and fit bikini body when summer rolls around.
    • Exercising can strengthen your immune system and help keep colds and other winter illnesses at bay.

Inside or outside?

Indoors

If you really, really do not want to venture outside or if the weather is just too foul, the good news is that you can easily exercise indoors either at a gym or in your own home. There are literally hundreds of home exercise DVDs available to teach you how.

Another option is to work out your own body weight exercise routine. These easy exercises such as push and sit-ups, squats and lunges, leg lifts and calf raises, etc. are designed to get you fit by using your own body weight and gravity to provide the necessary resistance needed to exercise every muscle in your body. See 101 Bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere (with demonstrations) at: http://julesfuel.com/2013/11/02/bodyweight-exercises/ for an extensive list.

Outdoors

Exercising outdoors during the winter months has its own set of advantages. Not only do you get out of the germ-laden indoors and in to the fresh air but being outside will sharpen your senses and leave you feeling invigorated.
You can also rekindle your love of sport and sign up for the winter sport you used to play at school. In South Africa, with its short winters and generally sunny winter days, many winter sports such as rugby, soccer, hockey, netball and tennis are played and enjoyed. In the coldest areas of South Africa where snow is likely to fall, skiing and other winter snow sports are on offer.

Three of the easiest, most popular and enjoyable winter outdoor exercise activities to partake in are walking and jogging as well as cycling.

Ready, steady, go

There are, however, a few precautions you should take when exercising outdoors in the cold.

    • First warm up indoors. A proper warm up is crucial to prevent injuries. Take five to 10 minutes to do some low level aerobic exercise like jogging in place or skipping or doing jumping jacks before braving the cold.
    • Dress appropriately. Dress in lightweight layers that will keep you warm and dry and enable you to remove the top layer if you get too hot. Protect your hands, ears and nose, and for men the genital area in cold and windy weather. Wrap a scarf around your neck and mouth to help you warm up the air you breathe.
    • Start slowly and give your body time to adjust. If you start too fast you may be forced to stop and rest, a dangerous tactic as your body temperature will drop rapidly, increasing your risk for hypothermia.
    • Choose the right time of day to exercise. Daylight is best and holding off until mid-morning or afternoon when temperatures are at their highest, is a good strategy to follow. It’s also a documented fact that exposure to natural light fights off seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and mild depression that usually strikes during the shorter, darker days.
    • Stay hydrated; drink water and other liquids even though you might not feel thirsty.
    • Beware of post exercise hypothermia occurring when you cool down too fast and your body rapidly loses its heating stores. Don’t strip immediately when you get inside, but give your body time to adjust by slowing your pace and keeping moving for at least five to ten minutes before jumping under the shower.

Decide that hibernating is for the bears and follow Confucius’ advice. He said: “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”.

Sources

 

Bode, L. Winter exercise tips. Retrieved from: http://thyroid.about.com/b/2005/12/01/winter-exercise-tips.htm
Cold-weather workouts. 2014.Retrieved from: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/workout-in-the-cold
How to exercise in winter weather. Retrieved from: http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-in-Winter-Weather
How to keep working out In the winter. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/how-to-keep-working-out-in-winter
Quinn, E. 2014. Inspirational sports quotes. Retrieved from: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/Motivation-And-Goal-Setting/fl/Inspirational-Sports-Quotes.htm
Winter is a great time for living room workouts. 2014. Retrieved from: hftp://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/03/07/home-exercises.aspx