Give Your Body a Winter Workout

Although the cold, winter months invoke wonderful thoughts of cozying up by a warm fire, and waiting for spring to come, our bodies would certainly not thank us.  The other seasons make exercising seem simple, even fun, because you can get the exercise you need without even thinking about it.  You can go for long walks, go swimming, play outside with the kids, rake leaves—you have so many more options when the weather is warm. Exercise needs to be something that you continue with, no matter what the temperature is outside.  Just because it’s cold, doesn’t mean you can deprive your body of physical activity.  Obesity has become a huge problem in our society today, especially in young children.  It’s on our shoulders as adults to teach children early on the importance of exercise and living a healthy lifestyle.  Children learn through example, so that’s what we need to give them.

When winter comes, we start looking forward to the holidays ahead, and the focus on exercising and staying healthy tends to get pushed by the wayside!  While we are making our lists, and planning our get-togethers, any kind of exercise program we may have been committed to, has been long forgotten.

Help to pass the winter months by taking part in winter activities.  Don’t let yourself sit around inside, watching TV and munching on snacks, when there’s so much to do in the winter!

Go skating, skiing, tobogganing – anything to get your body moving!  If you absolutely refuse to go outside when the temperatures drop, join a gym to get yourself out of the house.  Start a walking group with others that you can do in a gym or mall.

Use your imagination, and don’t let winter stop you from getting out and staying fit.  You have a choice – you can sit and wait for winter to be over, and then struggle again in the spring to lose the weight you put on over the previous months.  Or, you can stay active, watch the winter fly by, and be in better shape in the spring than you ever have been!