This time of year, there can be many temptations like eating too much at parties, enjoying one too many holiday cookies, or sitting next to a warm fireplace for hours with family and friends. There is no doubt that these things make the holiday season enjoyable, but unfortunately, they may not be the best for our overall physical health. It can definitely be a challenge to stay active in the winter months, but there are ways to stay fit, even in the cold!
First and foremost, if you love spending time with friends and family during the holidays, instead of being sedentary, participating in a group walk outdoors may be a nice option. One of the most important things to remember before braving the cold is to warm up! Dynamically stretching both the upper and lower extremities before beginning your walk can increase muscle flexibility, increase abdominal/core activation and decrease the chance for injury. Next, be sure to bundle up wearing multiple layers with warm socks and gloves especially since blood flow can be restricted to the distal extremities in cold weather. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 times per week will meet the American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity. If that seems like too much to start, ease into walking a few times a week and steadily increase the frequency to what works for you!
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If walking isn’t your preferred means of exercise, there are many other options in the winter. Think of less conventional types of exercise. Get outside and play! It may come as a surprise, but building a snowman, making snow angels or even having a snowball fight can be a great and fun source of exercise. It is estimated that building a snowman for 1 hour can burn up to 285 calories and engaging in a snow ball fight can expend 315 calories per hour, so rejuvenate your inner child, burn some calories and have some fun in the process!
Going outside may not appeal to you. If that’s the case, there are plenty of activities that can be done in the home to keep you healthy. Try a work out video or DVD, invest in a few key pieces of equipment (Theraband, set of dumbbells, yoga mat), or even perform body weight exercise like squats, planks, jumping jacks, etc. to increase muscle strength and endurance. Engaging in strengthening exercises 3-5 times per week can help with muscle tone and also increase functional strength in everyday activities.
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Lastly, setting goals is a very important step to leading a healthy lifestyle, especially during the winter. It is helpful to create short term goals (i.e. exercising 3-4 times per week) and long term goals (i.e. preparing to run a 5k over a 3 month period). Creating both short and long term goals help keep you motivated for a longer period of time and also help to measure progress made over that time. Most importantly, the goals you choose should be meaningful to you.
