Your health: Winter workout tips

By Sari Nossbaum

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, the thought of spending time exercising outside in sub-zero conditions is not particularly appealing. Curling up in bed with a hot drink and a good book certainly sounds far more enticing. It seems as if the warm and inviting summer days are long gone, and being able to sustain the incentive and discipline to keep fit during the winter is always that much more challenging.

The desire to remain indoors during the winter creates one of the main obstacles which people face: the monotony of the gym. Working out on the elliptical or treadmill every night can definitely get tedious after a while, no matter how good the music on your iPod is. Even if you divide your time between a few machines, the repetitive movements tend to become stodgy instantaneously.

But, fear not! There are a number of ways to avoid the winter blues and boredom at the gym, and still keep in shape during this dreary period! Even if you would prefer to keep your workout indoors, there are many more alternatives to a traditional gym/fitness machine environment that will get your heart rate moving and increase cardiovascular endurance and strength. Just think outside of the box. Or in this case, the gym.

To establish a suitable workout plan that you will be able to maintain, try following this simple formula: “FAB” — Fun, Assortment, Buddy. Let’s break it down.

Fun — if you enjoy the activity, you are much more likely to continue to do it. Believe it or not, exercising can be fun! Suggestions for fun activities include:

— Dance: Whether it’s hip hop, salsa or simcha dancing, you can really work hard without even realizing.

— Jump rope: This is not just for kids. In fact, it’s far more challenging than you might remember. See if you can jump continuously for one minute. Integrating jump rope drills to any workout (either as a warm up or during other cardio/weight exercises) will certainly boost your fitness.

— Team Sports: If you’re a team player, winter is a great time to join a league and get involved. Whether it’s football, basketball or ice hockey, there are plenty of indoor facilities that run weekly games. Alternatively, just organize a casual game with friends.

— Hit the slopes: Obviously this may not be something that can be incorporated into a weekly schedule, but skiing or snowboarding is definitely a great workout

Assortment — don’t do the same activity for every workout; spice it up! Try to incorporate a few different activities into your weekly schedule. For example, one day you may take a dance class, another day you may play a team sport, etc. This way, you will avoid monotony and actually look forward to each activity since it will feel more “novel.” Not only that, you might even want to throw in a workout on the treadmill or stationary bike once in a while as well, just to keep it different.

Other things to consider for variety: Try a new class you have never done before — kickboxing, yoga, spinning. You may start to feel muscles that you never realized existed.

Hot yoga is a great way to warm up and get a fantastic workout. Look for Bikram or hot Vinyasa yoga at a studio in your area. Also, swimming is not just a summer sport — there are many heated indoor pools. Just make sure you dry your hair before you leave!

Buddy — work out with a friend to ensure accountability. It’s difficult to stay motivated alone, especially if you aim to exercise early in the morning. When the alarm goes off in the wee hours, it’s far easier to just hit the snooze button and roll over. But if you know someone is waiting for you, there is a much greater likelihood that you will get up and go! Working out with friends not only keeps you honest, it also adds a social element to exercise and can make it a lot more enjoyable.