Winter weather can interrupt your exercise schedule - but staying active is key
FOX 2 - We know the cold dark days of January might brig you down, we've talked about that many times. We know staying active is an atidote - but how do we find the motivation?
They say there's no such thing as bad weather, there's just bad clothing choices. Meaning, just because the weather is bad during Michigan winter, it's not time to give up on your exercise goal.
"It's very important to maintain your activity and exercise during the winter months because you don't want to lose those benefits of exercise," said Dr. Marie Schaefer, Cleveland Clinic. "There's the mood boosting benefits of it, there's your cardiac and respiratory benefits from it, there's some evidence that it'll boost your immune system.
"So, it’s really important to stay active and exercise even though sometimes your brain is telling you, you don't want to do this."
Doctor Schaefer is a sports medicine physician and says that while going to the gym is a good option for exercising in the winter, you can create a workout routine inside your own home.
Lunges, planks and push ups are just some of the exercises you can do without needing fancy equipment.
Schaefer says your workouts don’t have to be overly complicated either.
Even going for a walk at the mall can help you get your steps in this winter. And although it may be colder, you can still get outside on milder days to
exercise.
Schaefer adds there are also plenty of things you can do now that you typically can’t do, in the warmer months.
"There's also new winter activities that you can do that you can't do in the summer months," she said. "So, you can do things like skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating outdoors. so, there are plenty of things to do outside as long as you take appropriate safety precautions."
If you can bundle up in your winter gear, a short hike might get the blood flowing. And if leaving the house is just completely unappealing, figure out an at-home workout.
For example, Deena uses her mini trampoline in the family room, where she can watch TV and get in a few reps on the rebounder.