Winter is coming — but that doesn’t mean your Workout or fitness programmust suffer.
People may find it more difficult to exercise indoors as the weather becomes colder and offers fewer daylight hours. There are however helpful tips.
“The good news? Every bit of exercise can provide benefits. health benefits,The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), notes this on their website.
“The key is to move more and sit less throughout the day … And there are many ways to be active wherever you live.”
Physical activity Improves sleepAccording to the CDC, it reduces stress and anxiety, and improves balance, mood, and health.
A fitness class is a popular activity for women. Regular exercise is associated with numerous benefits, including weight maintenance, heart disease prevention, and the reduction of type 2 diabetes.
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Consistent exercise can help reduce depression. It also helps to maintain weight, lower the risk of developing heart disease or obesity. Type 2 DiabetesThe agency also stated that it can lower blood pressure.
“All healthy adults aged 18–65 years should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes [for]Five days per week or vigorous aerobic activity for at least 20 minutes [for]According to the American College of Sports Medicine, “three days per week,”
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The same source stated that “every adult should do activities that maintain or enhance muscular strength and endurance for at least two days per semaine.”
People “need to distinguish between can’t and won’t.”
Fox News Digital interviewed experts to find out how to achieve these goals even when the weather is not cooperating.
Identify the problem
“First, [people] need to distinguish between can’t and won’t,” said Professor Jack Raglin, an exercise scientist at Indiana University-Bloomington’s Department of Kinesiology.
“There certainly are times when the weather is so harsh you shouldn’t exercise outside, but in most cases it’s more a matter of won’t,” added Raglin, who studies the interaction of mind and body as it applies to competitive sports and recreational exercise.
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Sometimes, layers of clothing can be removed later. He said that exercising in colder weather can be made more comfortable by wearing layers.
A group of women walks together outdoors. According to one expert, exercising can still be comfortable in colder climates by using clothing that wicks away sweat.
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You get the additional benefit of scenic views if there are trails near you.
He said that many people shop in the mall, even if they are unable to go outside.
Get started in the gym — and warm up
Consider going to the gym if the weather is truly a problem.
“When the weather gets iffy outside, here are a few key things to keep in mind while using the gym to keep your fitness journey going and maximizing your efforts,” said Teddy Savage of Baltimore, Maryland, the head of health and fitness excellence at Planet Fitness HQ in New Hampshire.
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It’s best to first engage in a “dynamic warm-up,” he said.
This refers to “moving your whole body through.” [a]Full range of motion is necessary to activate the muscles effectively and lubricate joints to prevent injury from stiffness or tightness.
A female athlete is shown stretching. One health and fitness expert said, “After your warm up, you can use the strength equipment that targets the desired area of your body (muscle groups), and then start light with the weights.”
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He pointed out that there are many warm-ups that work, including the bent and reach exercises, windmills for standing trunk rotations, hamstring sweeps, and standing trunk rotations.
A well-balanced exercise program is possible
A combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise is the best way to get the perfect workout.
“After your warmup, use the strength equipment to target your desired body area (muscle group) and begin light with the weights,” he stated.
Strength equipment helps to maintain a safe posture, he added — and Planet Fitness has QR codes that gym goers can scan to learn proper form and technique.
One health and fitness professional said, “Follow your strength exercises and fit in 10-15 minutes of cardio activity to help improve your heart health. It will also relax tight muscles.”
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He said, “Follow your strength exercises and fit in 10-15 minutes of cardio activity to improve your heart health. This will help to relax tight muscles.”
He suggested that you should use different cardio equipment like the treadmill, elliptical, and arc trainer because they each have their own unique benefits.
Remember the recovery
He also suggested that you finish your workout by doing a static stretching exercise that is more stationary. This will allow you to reach your maximum range of motion, and hold it there for between 30-60 seconds.
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Some examples of static stretches include seated hamstring stretch, child’s pose, cobra stretch or knee huggers.
These will reduce the pain and speed up recovery.
Get fit in the comfort of home
If a gym is not an option, it’s possible to exercise in the comfort of your own home.
Begin by creating a space in your home that is dedicated to your workouts, suggests Raglin, University of Indiana at Bloomington.
The goal doesn’t have to be to duplicate your outdoor workout or gym training exactly — the goal is to stay active with a consistent program.
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“You don’t need an entire room,” he said. “Some space in front of the TV will work — and it may help the time pass.”
The goal doesn’t have to be to duplicate your outdoor workout or gym training exactly, because the goal is to stay active with a consistent program.
But if people feel guilty about “falling short, then add a feature to your home workouts that you don’t typically do, such as functional stretching or range of motion training.”
“Do body weight exercises like push-ups. squats. lunges in place. split squats. core exercises.
He said that some basic equipment such as a mat for yoga and exercise bands can be replaced by a lot of equipment in a gym.
“The biggest limitations with indoor gyms are space and equipment limitations,” added Dr. Kyle A. Kercher, assistant professor of sports management at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington.
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Kercher, who is also a American College of Sports Medicine certified exercise professional, said that one way to fight this is to do body weight exercises like push-ups or squats, lunges up, lunges in position, split squats or core exercises.
He suggested that one simple solution is to get a few extra weights to help increase the difficulty or load of your body weight exercises.
“With just two moderate weight dumbbells, you can do various presses, pulls/rows, squats, lunges, and hinging movements — that is, a deadlift.”
Female doing shoulder press exercise using a weight bar in a gym
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He suggested multi-joint exercise over single-joint because they offer more value for money.
Kercher stated that free weights are a good option because they provide more balance and coordination and are more easily available.
He said that machines can be quite expensive. They take up space and limit your range of motion.
“Machines can be effective for gaining strength and seeing incremental increases in performance — they’re often just less accessible.”
“With that said, machines can be effective for gaining strength and seeing incremental increases in performance — they’re often just less accessible,” he said.
Get creative with your home exercise
If you don’t have free weights at home, consider working out with Use household items to keep activeAccording to the CDC you can use full water bottles or canned foods for strength training.
The CDC states that running up and down stairs, provided there are no obstacles to prevent tripping, can be a great exercise.
Online exercise videos can help people stay active at home — just make sure the videos are performed by certified exercise trainers who match your interest and ability level, per the CDC.
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The CDC suggests that you do jumping jacks while watching TV, or move “along with the characters” by running or walking in place.
Raglin stated that “activities such as jump roping are a good alternative, but they are too difficult (and intense) for most people to use them as a substitute.”
It is important to have the proper equipment for your workouts. If you don’t have the equipment you need, you can make your own or use creative substitutes.
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He suggested that there is a way to do less intense, high intensity training, which combines the best parts of lower and greater intensity work with scheduled rests.
“These programs can also be purely body weight activities that don’t require equipment but still involve strength training movements,” he said.
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Raglin noted that research shows that people like this type of training, which may help increase their chances of sticking with it.
The CDC recommended chores like vacuuming, cleaning and sweeping be considered as another form exercise. “You’ll knock out some items on your to-do list while gaining health benefits,” the CDC said.
Keep motivated and create a program
Raglin suggested that people be prepared for inclement conditions.
“In other words, don’t get into a situation in which you have to improvise your workout when the weather gets bad,” he said.
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Raglin said that music or other entertainment can be a welcome distraction and can be mixed in to the routine.
Consider bringing the whole family along to the gym.
Mom and her daughter dance in the living room. Kids who are ages 6-12 require 60 minutes of daily physical activity for their hearts, muscles and bones to stay healthy, according to the CDC — and the time can be spread throughout the day.
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According to the CDC, family members can dance together to keep them active and having fun.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), children aged 3-5 years old should be physically active for three hours per day at various intensity levels.
Children between the ages of 6-12 need 60 minutes of physical activity each day to keep their bones, hearts, and muscles healthy. However, this can be spread out throughout the day, according to the sports medicine college.
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For example, children ages 6-12 can play for 30 minutes twice a day or five to 10 minutes several times a day — but exercise should be vigorous on at least three days of the week.
