I don’t know where you are right now, but I’m in Missouri and it’s freezing. We got hit with an unexpected snow the other day that left a 15-car pile up on the road I use to get home. Thankfully, I was three hours away, driving in the sunshine.
Not only can winter cause traffic jams, it can wreck our exercise routine.
But it doesn’t have to. We can think of a million reasons to use the winter as a reason not to stay fit. But honestly, when it comes down to it, they’re just excuses.
Here are four suggestion to keep you fit during the winter:
Use a workout video.
No, you don’t have to sweat to the oldies with Richard Simmons, but hey, it’s actually kinda fun. There are so many good workout DVD’s out there. I’m stocked up on The Biggest Loser Bootcamp, You Won’t Be Able to Walk for a Week After You Do This Workout with Jillian Michaels (Okay, it’s actually called Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, but it’s all the same), and a few others.
Most videos run from 30-45 minutes, giving you plenty of time to workout in your living room.
Invest in a treadmill or elliptical.
I know not everyone has the money to go out and buy exercise equipment. If you do, then make the investment. If you don’t, search for a deal on Craigslist, or share the news with your friends on Facebook. That’s exactly what I did. I was looking for a used treamdill and a week later someone graciously gave me one.
Right now it’s covered with a suticase and a pile of clothes, but it gets used on the days I can’t get my car out of the driveway. I’m curious if my new dog will take to it as well.
Deep clean your house.
You’d be surprised how many calories you can burn while sweeping and mopping in those nooks you haven’t seen in three years. Go through those old boxes in the garage you’ve had on your t0-do list for a while. Do your dishes by hand.
And you must dance. Don’t just sweep the kitchen floor. Sing into the broom handle like you’re Tina Turner. You think those legs just came naturally to her? No. I imagine she’s used a dust pan a few times in her life. Maybe not. I dunno.
Embrace your inner rebel and go outside.
By this time the snow plows have cleared the roads enough for you to know you’re not falling into your neighbors ditch.
You can do it! Bundle up nicely, layers preferabbly. Grab the running shoes and the lip balm, put “Eye of the Tiger” on your iPod and run like the wind.
I’m sure you can think of several other ways to keep yourself going in the midst of winter blues. Just remember to keep your heart rate up, try to workout for a minimum of 30 minutes, and be creative and have fun!
I’m giving away one copy of Faithfully Fit: A 40-Day Devotional Plan to End the Yo-Yo Lifestyle of Chronic Dieting to one lucky winner.
For your chance to win, you must:
- Leave a comment below. Tell me what creative things you do in the winter to keep exercise in your routine.
- Tweet a link to this post. You can do so automatically by clicking here. If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can use Facebook.