Winter Activities to Keep Your Body Fit

By Donna Stark

The extra daylight and the warm temperatures in summer may motivate you to exercise more, but that doesn't mean you can ignore what your body needs in the winter! For optimal health and wellness, it is recommended you engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, but that can seem difficult to achieve at the moment. In fact, with the shorter days and winter elements to contend with, you may not even want to work out at all! If you are wondering how to spark your motivation and what exercises are the best to engage in, keep reading. Here are a couple of ways you can keep your body active during the colder season.

Go for a Brisk Walk

Walking is an extremely accessible, low-impact exercise that will improve cardiac function and reduce your risk of serious health conditions. It is one of the safest forms of exercise, but that doesn't mean you won't need to take some extra precautions during winter. Make sure the route you choose is cleared of snow and ice, wear weather-appropriate shoes with great traction, and dress in layers so you can maintain a comfortable body temperature.

Climb Those Mountains

Winter is the time to take advantage of those skis and snowboards sitting in your garage, so grab your gear and hit the slopes! Or hit the open fields and trails for a little bit of cross-country skiing instead. Whatever you decide on, you can count on your entire body getting a complete workout!

Join an Indoor Bootcamp

Maybe you need to be surrounded by like-minded friends to find your motivation. If that's the case, join an indoor boot camp! This type of workout may be exactly what you need if you want to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. Take the time to shop around and find the group that will challenge you the most. There are so many to choose from!

Sweat It Out at Home

Guess what! You don't need to spend hours at a gym or a lot of your hard-earned money to stay active and fit. You can achieve your goals in the comfort of your own home! Find some online HIIT (high-intensity interval training) videos to follow, practice your yoga, or clear the clutter off the treadmill and use it! Remember, you only need 30 minutes a day ... just long enough to watch an episode of your favorite sitcom.

Finding the Motivation and the Right Exercises

Don't let the winter weather keep you from giving your body exactly what it needs. Good health doesn't necessarily come easy, but it's worth all the time and effort you put into it. Besides, your summer body is counting on what you do with your winter body!

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Brookfield, Wis.