Staying Active When It's Cold Outside | Herbal Goodness

Let’s face it, there is nothing like snuggling up inside and spoiling yourself with comfort eats when the cold weather blows in.

Tempting, we know. But staying active even when the weather feels too cold to venture outside is an important part of staying healthy throughout the year.

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Grey skies are not particularly motivating. But if you can summon the willpower to throw back the comfy covers for a little physical activity, come spring you will be thinking it was the best decision you ever made.

Seriously.

Here are a few tips on how to beat the blues and get your heart pumping.

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Get some kettlebells and/or resistance bands

Indoor workout ideas don’t get any simpler than kettlebells and resistance bands. You can opt for either or do both, but whichever the case, these two workout ideas are extremely effective at working the muscles.

What you will appreciate most about these two basic sets of “equipment” are the varied strength training exercises they allow you to do without the need for heavyweights.

The Stairs

If you live in an apartment building or have stairs at home, walking or running up and down can be a perfect, high-intensity cardio routine.

You can step it up a notch by taking two steps at a time, sprinting a couple of flights or performing jumping jacks between floors.

It is a great cardiovascular exercise that also works out the legs and glutes at the same time. Stairs can be risky, though, especially when you begin to tire. So exercise caution to avoiding injuring yourself!

Indoor cycling

Indoor cycling is one of the oldest, uh, indoor exercises. And that’s simply because it is extremely effective, challenging both your physical and mental strength by pushing yourself to the limit.

Just a single hour of riding can help you burn hundreds of calories, going at whatever pace you feel comfortable with.

The beauty of indoor cycling is that anyone at whatever age and fitness level can do it and have fun at the same time.

Racquetball

This indoor sport is a perfect way to burn some fat fast. Instead of the treadmill, switch up your cardio workout by giving racquetball a try.

The benefit of this sport over your regular machine workout is that its very nature implies you will exercise every muscle in your body by rapidly switching from side to side and moving up and down the court, as you never know which wall the ball will bounce off of.

Video game workout

Why not mix it up a little this winter by trying something entirely new?

Indoor exercising can get blah if you don’t vary your routines, and a video game workout, popularly known as exergaming, is a novel way to incorporate into your workout.

There is never a shortage of good games out there to guarantee you torch some calories. The downside to this exercise, however, is that it requires you to invest in a game console. The alternative is to borrow the kids’ or work yourself around their schedule!

Dance

Some high energy music is not only motivating but also great to groove to.

Dancing is a form of cardio exercise and is both fun and surprisingly effective.

So, feel free to vary your indoor routine by cranking up the volume and busting some moves!

Shovel snow

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you should go into full hibernation by spending most of your time holed up inside.

Just outside of your front door lies a glorious opportunity to exercise naturally: shoveling snow. If done right, this can be a great way to stay active during the winter months.

The caveat is that it depends on which part of the country you’re in J

Set a challenge

Another way to get through the cold months is to set workout challenges, say 30-day challenges, to hit a certain number of [what] – squats, planks, sit-ups, rope skipping etc.

The good thing about a challenge is that it does just that – challenge you to up your exercise time each day, something that could only mean one thing – getting fitter in winter!

Now, that’s something most of us don’t get to say often, right?

Yoga

Lastly, we cannot forget to include this remarkable wellness practice on the list.

While it may not look like the ideal way to stay active, yoga is a simple activity that does more than just improve your breathing and posture. It also strengthens your muscles and increases flexibility.

Yoga is a year-round activity that will do wonders to you your mental and physical wellbeing. However, the cold sedentary months present us with a wonderful opportunity to learn the art of quietening the mind, developing mental focus and attention.

It is the perfect time to check this box.

Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Staying Healthy in the Colder Month