{"id":1452,"date":"2018-08-20T22:31:39","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T22:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yogadirectorycanada.com\/community\/?p=1452"},"modified":"2021-04-26T18:50:04","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T18:50:04","slug":"keys-to-staying-fit-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yogadirectorycanada.com\/community\/keys-to-staying-fit-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Keys To Staying Fit This Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter can often be the most challenging season from a fitness perspective. In fact, people specifically tend to gain more weight during the winter,\u00a0for a number of different reasons<\/a>: holiday meals, more time indoors due to cold weather, comfort foods, etc. It\u2019s a season during which it\u2019s very tempting to stay comfortable and satisfied, as opposed to disciplined and hard-working. But really all it takes is a little bit of focus and initiative to avoid these common tendencies and stay fit right through the winter.<\/p>\n

These are some of the keys to the effort.<\/h2>\n

Trying Winter Sports<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Aside from general lifestyle and dieting changes, one of the reasons we tend to slip a little bit during the winter is that we just don\u2019t want to go outside for regular workouts! Long walks or jogs, tennis, soccer, cycling, or whatever else you may rely on can suddenly seem very unappealing in colder weather. Indeed, even swimming in a gym pool can be a tough proposition, because there\u2019s always a little bit of permanent chill during cold seasons. Thus, turning to winter sports can actually be very effective.\u00a0There are a lot of activities to consider<\/a>, including skiing and snowboarding if you\u2019re in an area where they\u2019re accessible, snow kayaking if you live on the water, or even indoor games like bowling or racquetball. Getting involved in any of these can help you to keep your fitness efforts moving forward.<\/p>\n

Committing To Spring Events<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is more of a psychological trick than anything else, but it\u2019s one you should think about. If you commit to a spring fitness event – a marathon, a triathlon, the beginning of an outdoor sports league, etc. – you\u2019re essentially declaring that you\u2019ll need to be in proper shape for it when the season rolls around. For some, this can be all the incentive needed to be a little more disciplined about personal wellness during the holidays.<\/p>\n

Learning To Work Out While You Lounge<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To at least a degree, there\u2019s nothing that can quell the desire to lounge about when it\u2019s cold out. You might want to watch some movies, read a few long novels, binge watch a new TV show, or just hunker down and play video games. Whatever the case, a little bit of sedentary \u201cchill time\u201d is always appealing. This is perfectly fine, but you should also learn to work out while you\u2019re doing it. A terrific 2017 article on just this topic – specifically, exercises for people playing games – noted that a few simple routines can\u00a0keep the juices flowing and keep you feeling relaxed and fresh<\/a>, even if they won\u2019t exactly sculpt your muscles. Things like stretching, breathing exercises, and even some minor weight and resistance exercises can be done while you lounge about, and can go a long way.<\/p>\n

Eating Right Between Major Meals<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you celebrate any of the winter holidays and have family traditions that involve treats and large meals, you\u2019re probably kidding yourself if you decide to hold back. That is to say, if you\u2019re going to have a Christmas feast, you\u2019re likely to get into the spirit and enjoy the meal – which means you\u2019re setting yourself up for failure if you\u2019ve determined to take it easy. Instead of trying to hold back on these major meals and occasions, then, try committing to a plan to take it easy in between them. You can have a few treats and a holiday feast, and even leftovers for a day or two, and make up for it by having light lunches through the month of December, or opting for vegetarian-only dinners on week days for the month, or anything of this kind. The give-and-take tends to be a little easier on you than any attempt to hold back in totality.<\/p>\n

Keeping Tabs On Weight<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Perhaps this tip sounds a little bit obvious, but then a lot of the time it\u2019s\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0recommended to watch the scale while you\u2019re in the middle of a fitness routine. This is because it can take time to start seeing the pounds melt off, and if you don\u2019t see results early on you might get discouraged and stop your efforts. However, during the winter the main idea is not to\u00a0put on<\/em>\u00a0too many excess pounds. So, if you\u2019re able to, try to keep tabs on things. This way if you start to notice your weight going up you can try to adjust your day-to-day routine to increase the likelihood that you enter the spring just as fit as you left the fall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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