So winter. The time for snuggling, muffins and marshmallows.
The thoughts of venturing from your comfy abode have been drowned in hot
chocolate and any thought of ummmm exercise? Is that what’s it called? Yes. Exercise..
is long lost. Don’t get me wrong I’ll let you keep your winter wonders of warm
doonas, or (my favourite) driving through the morning fog with the sun
streaking through, but in order to keep eating muffins and not become one, you
still have to be healthy in winter.
1. Pack a 'take-a-way gym'
Working-out outdoors is always nicer in winter. Sure initially the chill may give you goosebumps, but in no more than 5 minutes you'll feel comfortable in the crisp air. Make fitness and working out accessible and easy. For those of you that have a car - or if not, designate a bag as your take-a-way gym - putting together a mini gym is the easiest way to stay fit! For $5 to $20 you can set up a fitness-kit for your on-the-go workouts. Simple and cheap fitness accessories such as a skipping rope, medicine ball, ankle weights are easy to pack up and provide fantastic fitness benefits!
A combination of any of these can create a good take-a-way gym
(click images to shop the product)
$2 skip rope $16 Weight Plate 5 KG $4 Sports Mat
$13 Ankle/Wrist Weights $5 Kettle Ball 2.5 KG $10 Weight 2 KG
2. Make sure to warm up
It is so important to be warmed up to avoid injuries when exercising, especially in colder months when your muscles are cooler than usual. 4-5 minutes of skipping is always an easy way to get your body warm for a workout. For the first 10 minutes of your workout if exercising outside, stop every 30 seconds to let yourself adjust to the cooler climate.
3. Drown it!
In summer you feel dehydrated a lot easier due to the heat, but during winter we often forget to keep hydrated. Whether its warm or cold your body is still working and losing electrolytes so it is especially important to not forget about water in winter! Even little things like making drinking goals - marking how much you want to drink on a water bottle in permanent marker.
4. Take little steps
If you're one to push yourself, take a step back in winter. Start off with halving the amount of exercise you do - not the frequency, but how much you do. For instance (being ambitious), if you run 2 km, 3 times a week; cut back to 1 km, 3 times a week and work your way up from there. You don't want to put too much stress on you muscles as it takes a lot more effort to accomplish the same activities in winter.
5. Make a plan and stick to it!
Sure you've heard it all before, but make a serious plan. Don't just say '"'ll do it Wednesday afternoon". Plan out your entire day, all activities from wake-up to bedtime to ensure you stick to doing your workout.and can't cop-out.
Here are some easy winter workouts to squeeze into your day.
AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) for 10 minutes for each workout.
6. Have a good playlist to keep you motivated
Definitely the easiest way to keep yourself motivated - listen to something that makes you happy or work hard! Surround yourself in an amazing playlist to push yourself as hard as you can. Try googling some good playlist suggestions, like the one below!
7. Cool Down
It is always a necessity to cool down to avoid harming your muscles. Stretching is always an efficient and easy way to do so!
Love Gi & P xx
