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How to keep active during winter

Posted by Alexander on June 29th, 2014 (Health, Uncategorized)

As soon as the first cool breeze passes for the year, the first few signs that winter is soon about, we all try to hibernate. Waking up later, driving or using taxis instead of walking to our destination to avoid the cold air and at times the rain. To top it all off, day light savings makes it even harder for us to squeeze in some exercise time after coming home from a busy day. All this makes it difficult to keep in tip top shape and continue exercising to maintain our optimal health.
So what can we do to try and maintain or increase the amount of physical activity we do each day? Current guidelines suggest that an adult should undertake 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day. Though this might sound like a lot, we can break this up during the day to make it easier to achieve.
There are a number of approaches that we can take to try to keep ourselves active. Here are some ideas on how to keep active.

• Getting off a stop early- you might have heard this many times before. If you catch public transport, such as a bus, getting off a stop or two earlier than your destination and walking. This means you have just increased the amount of time you spend being physically active and the 5 or 10 minute walk will do wonders for your health goals.
• Taking the stairs- Have there been times when you get into a lobby of a building and have to wait a few minutes to get the lift that will take you up 1, 2 or 3 floors? The time waiting in the lobby will probably exceed that amount of time it will take you to walk up the flight of stairs. Walking up the stairs instead of using the lift will help to strengthen your muscles and in no time you will notice it becoming easier and easier.
• Taking a stroll during your lunch- Lunch time is the perfect time to take advantage of the daylight hours and go for a quick walk. If possible take a friend with you to keep you company. The 10 minutes of walking you can squeeze in during your lunch will is a quick and easy way to reach our goal of 60 minutes per day.
• Be active with your children- Children love to be active and going outside to play. Use this to your advantage and keep fit as a family. Walk home from school together, go down to the local park and play some ball games. If you r currently taking your children to sports, try walking laps around the field to keep yourself moving, whilst they are.
• Enjoy the indoors- don’t let the harsh winter weather deter you from keeping active. Try joining a local gym or enjoy a heated indoor swimming pool. After some of your hard work, you might even be able to enjoy the sauna and spa facilities too, if available.

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