Winter Workout Tips

Winter’s here, the temperature’s dropped and temptation is to hibernate for the season and let your training take a back seat.

 

Australian sports brand Body Science and expert dietician Susie Burrell are urging Australians to break the ‘winter fitness cycle’ keep up the healthy regimes whatever the weather. With dark nights and mornings, plus cold weather lethargy, it can take extra effort to force yourself to the gym but your body will thank you for it in the long run.

 

Just because the clothes are thicker and you don’t have to show as much flesh doesn’t mean it is an excuse to eat more. Often people “let themselves go” and eat things they would not usually during the colder months as they know that it will be some time before they need to bare their legs, arms or stomachs again. Monitor your weight regularly so if it starts to creep up you can gain control of it again quickly. For accurate results, weigh yourself first thing in the morning, at most once a week.

 

Cream and starch based soups eaten with bread, heavy desserts and extra glasses of wine or spirits each contribute a significantly greater number of calories to the diet compared to the salads, BBQ’s and ice creams of summer. Look for lighter, vegetable based soups and skip the extra bread, stick to fruit for dessert and watch the number of glasses of alcohol you consume each day.

 

The cold weather inevitability means that people spend more time indoors. Work up an exercise plan that you can practice at home – invest in some free weights, a resistance band and exercise mat and start a 30 minute weight training schedule every other day. Stock up on full-length training apparel such as BSc’s Compression wear and hit the streets for a light jog in the evenings – stick to well-lit areas if it’s already dark and warm up afterwards with a healthy vegetable soup.

 

Keep moving, stay motivated, and you’ll avoid the realisation that you’ve piled on 5 kilos by the time spring has arrived. Also, remember that Winter is the best time to enter a sporting challenge – Sydney’s City2Surf and Blackmore’s Running Festival plus the Bridge to Brisbane run are all held in the cooler months and are a great reason to stay in shape and up your training.