7 Winter Exercise Tips for Busy People
by: Dale Reynolds
7 Winter Exercise Tips for
Busy People
---Finding Time in Your Schedule---
Many people find summer exercise easy, because there are
so many fun activities available when it’s warm outside. But if
you live in the North, you might find exercise during the
winter much more difficult. I refuse to run outdoors when it’s
very cold, the road is icy, or the snow banks have narrowed the
road significantly. But I also refuse to hibernate, since
exercise helps improve your immune system to help you fight off
winter colds and flu, and also gives you energy and a positive
outlook. So, here are a few tips
to get you thinking about staying active all year
long!
Find exercise videos you love, and carve out a space indoors
with the equipment you need. I exercise in my basement all year
long, and add outdoor activities when weather permits. The
great thing about having an exercise video collection, and the
right space, is that you have absolutely no excuses! Weather,
time of day, long lines for equipment, etc. will not stop you
from burning calories! My personal favorites come from The
Firm, and my favorite place to shop is Collage Video. Visit my
website, www.slimdale.com
and click on Links to get there.
The new fall television lineup will be here soon. Use TV
commercial breaks! Many people ignore strength training because
they feel cardio burns more calories. But adding muscle to your
body will raise your metabolism, allowing you to burn more
calories all day long. Resistance training also strengthens
your bones, and just getting stronger can help you with a
multitude of daily activities. So find a book, magazine
article, wall chart or other resource showing exercises to work
all major muscle groups, and do a set of repetitions during
each commercial. You’ll get a 20-minute workout during one
60-minute show!
Join a walking club at a local school, or walk inside a
shopping mall. You can window-shop before the stores open so
you go right to the store that has the best sales or the styles
you love when they are open.
Park farther away from the door and walk. At work, at the
grocery store, at the mall; any place where you’re stuck
walking outside anyway, just bundle up and get a few extra
steps. When indoors, take the stairs instead of the elevator or
escalator. You’ll burn lots more calories. You can even try
using restrooms, copy machines, etc. on a different floor just
to get more exercise. Consider wearing a pedometer and
challenging yourself to keep increasing your steps per day.
Use your lunch break if you work in an office. If your company
has a gym, use it. Walk outside when the weather permits. If
it’s raining or snowing, walk laps around the parking garage or
laps around each floor perimeter plus the steps between
floors.
Be less efficient! If you live in a multi-story house, take as
many trips up and down the stairs as you can instead of saving
things to go up or down. At the office, take a walk to see your
coworkers instead of always using email. Face-to-face
conversation is often better anyway, as it avoids
misunderstandings and leads to better bonding and teamwork.
Consider winter sports. Skiing (downhill or cross-country), ice
skating, and snow-shoeing can all burn lots of calories. Also,
just play in the snow! Go sledding or build a snowman, and make
some snow angels!
I hope these tips help you to stay active this winter!
Remember, the key to weight loss is to burn more calories than
you consume (and weight maintenance is balancing the intake and
the burn equally over time.) If you don’t burn calories with
exercise, you’ll need to cut your food intake, and that will be
especially difficult during the holidays. I personally would
rather exercise more and enjoy a few holiday cookies! So get in
the habit of exercising consistently now!
About The Author
Dale Reynolds lives in upstate New York where she works as a
weight loss counselor and has recently published a book, "A
Slim Book On Weighty Matters" Visit her website and sign up for
her free newsletter!
dale@slimdale.com
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