The Key to Staying Active This Winter: Plan Ahead!
Is watching Netflix your go-to activity during the winter months? It’s no surprise that when it gets cold outside, we tend to spend more time indoors doing sedentary activities and it can be difficult to stay active.
What’s the answer? Try planning your activities by setting aside time in your schedule — a few days a week — to make sure you’re getting the activity you need.
How much activity do you need?
To receive the health benefits from exercise, adults need a total of 2.5 hours of activity spread across the week, in bouts of ten minutes or more. These activities need to be moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic activities. Moderate-intensity physical activities include brisk walking or bike riding. Generally, you know your activity is moderate-intensity if you sweat a little and breathe harder than when you’re moving about day-to-day. Vigorous-intensity activities include jogging or cross-country skiing, and you’re likely to find yourself sweating and feeling out of breath.
Here are a few tips to help keep you motivated to stay active during the winter months:
Plan activities ahead.
When activities are in your calendar, you’re less likely to forget them. Preparedness also helps set good habits.
Find a fun local activity, like snowshoeing, skiing, skating, or cross-country skiing.
Dress in layers. Insulate your body. When you can keep your body warm, it’s easier to continue being active outside.
Use your daylight hours.
It’s easier to stay outside while it’s still light out. It’s easy to miss out on activities when you start them too late in the day.
Find indoor activities at your local community centre.
This could be aerobics classes, badminton, basketball, or yoga classes.
Climb stairs.
Deliberately add more steps to your day. Consider going up and down a flight in your home, the mall, or an office building more than once over the course of your regular daily activities. As little as five minutes can make a huge difference for your health.
Go online to find more motivation.
There are plenty of free exercise videos you view online, including dance, step, aerobics, or Pilates.
Sign up for a fun run.
You can often find non-competitive “fun runs” in your community that are usually between 5 and 10 kilometres. You can invite friends and family to join in!
Find an activity buddy.
Find someone willing to commit to being active as often as you are, and set a plan. That could be planning to meet for morning walks or afternoon workouts. Having a friend keeps you accountable.
Stay hydrated.
Whatever your activity level is, remember to stay hydrated. It is easy to forget to drink water when it’s cold out, but your body needs just as much hydration in a snowstorm as it does in a heatwave.
Stay motivated.
Most importantly, stay motivated. Revisit your goals (or look for tips to set new ones) to make sure you’re still on track. Plan ahead and make sure you can envision your goal as you look ahead towards the finish line.
To get help on setting activity goals based on your specific musculoskeletal needs, ask your chiropractor about what activities are right for you.
The wellness team at Pickering Village Chiropractic & Massage encourage you to improve your overall health by making exercise a part of your daily routine. If you want to learn more about managing your health with exercise, contact our clinic today at 905-427-3202.