During the winter, it is easy to get caught up in the comfort of your own home and forgo the option of getting to the gym. However, you should try not to give in. Maybe going outside is not the answer for you. There are plenty of other things to do. Keep reading for 6 winter activities that don't feel like exercise.
Shoveling Snow
While shoveling snow may not seem like the most fun activity, it definitely is a great workout. It involves a ton of heavy lifting, which is great for building muscle. Putting on some headphones can make this a better workout than going to the gym. You must be careful though, bad posture can cause an injury. Just like lifting weights, the slightest wrong move can really hurt you. Your back should be straight and not bent to much. Your knees should be slightly bent and you should lift with your legs. When you are lifting the shovel, you should be cautious of where your hands are placed. They should not be too close together. There should be a little distance between them, to give you more leverage when lifting the heavy snow. Always keep your core engaged and dump the snow in front of you. Twisting and turning to throw the snow can be very harmful to your back.
Ice Skating
This is definitely more exciting than shoveling snow. Ice skating has numerous heath benefits for the body. The first is very obvious... balance. To be able to skate, you must have total muscle control. It can strengthen your muscles and tendons in your legs, feet, and ankles. You should wear plenty of safety gear because it very easy to fall if your muscles are not stable already. Skating is also an excellent cardio activity, as it is very low impact. The best way to get a great cardio workout is to move your arms while gliding your legs. It is recommended to start slowly and work your way up to a faster pace. Approximately 30 minutes of skating can burn about 250 calories. For women who are in the menopause state, it can help with pelvic floor issues. This means leaking urine when the body is under stress from laughter, activities, or coughing. The motions of sliding from side to side help to strengthen the muscles and stretch in multiple directions. Another positive benefit of ice skating is that it builds and tones the muscles in your gluteus medius, which are muscles on the outer hips.These muscles tend to be very weak because of infrequent use. Strengthening it is important for hip and knee health. Skating is an amazing exercise during the winter and can be a fun activity with your friends!
Sledding
Sledding is an exercise that the whole family can partake in. If there is an abundance of snow in your area, then you should take out the sled and go for a ride. Sledding forces you to use specific muscles to help control your balance. It is an aerobic workout that includes the use of arms, legs, abs, and chest. Besides steering on the way down, you must also walk back up the hill and carry the sleigh. This is great for building up leg muscles. Walking in the snow as well as walking up the hill will be a hard but extremely worth it in the end. It is also very fun! Doing this with your family can burn about 450 calories in a one hour span, especially if you are dragging your kids up the mountain as well as the sled. Being in the sun while sledding can also boost your vitamin D levels and full spectrum light levels. This effect will increase your mood and make you feel good overall. Engaging in fun activities such as this can reduce stress levels and anxiety. With lower stress levels, you will also have a lower blood pressure, stronger immune system, and more energy. Grab your kids and start sledding!
Snowball Fight
Snowball fights are probably the best thing you remember about snow days as a child. This is not one of the more vigorous activities, but it is still a good workout. This is a quick and fun activity that may not last long, but will get your blood pumping and burn some calories. Running in the heavy snow is a great resistance workout for your legs as well as dodging other snowballs. The motions involve squatting, sprinting, lunging, and throwing. These are all motions that you would normally do at the gym, so it can actually be considered a full body workout. Snowball fights can be compared to hiking or running in the snow. This winter activity can burn about 320 calories per hour. You can increase the stakes of the game by making the loser shovel the snow around the house!
Join An Exercise Class
Now for some indoor exercises. Your local gym can be a great place to fit in exercise during the winter. Spin is a great activity to participate in during the winter. There is no need to check you weather apps with this. It is inside and gets your heart pumping. These quick classes are a great way to an intense sweat and cardio routine.You can burn hundreds of calories, and this vigorous activity can actually improve bone density. You are working your butt, thighs, calves, and core. Yoga is another great option for a winter workout. You can work the whole body in a one hour class. It is low impact and can help with stress and well as the physical body. A flow-style class can offer you cardio and strength challenges. If you need a dose of summer, you can also try hot yoga. This will allow you sweat out all the toxins in your body to feel great afterwards. If you never heard of a barre class, you can try it now. Barre is a a ballet inspired class that incorporates yoga moves. This is great for both men and women. It involves weight training, lengthening, and toning muscles. If you're looking to try something new, try one of these classes.
Home Workout Sessions
Home workout sessions can be just the winter activity you need because it does not involve leaving your warm house. However, you must be well-disciplined and actually do them. The best time to do them is before you get ready to go to work in the morning or as soon as you come home. This way you do get stuck in that mood where all you want to do is sit on the couch. Home workouts are great because you can tailor them to your needs. You can do a few minutes of cardio, legs, arms, and abs. It does not have to be a crazy, intense workout. You just need to make sure that you are keeping up with your fitness during the cold months. There are numerous apps that you can download as well to give you quick but effective workouts.
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-Franki
