The cold, dark and miserable winter mornings don't exactly inspire you to leap out of bed and start working out. The lack of daylight and freezing temperatures make long lazy lie-ins and relaxing in front of the fire the order of the day, but what about those workouts. You have to resist the urge to cut back on your exercising and keep the momentum you have built up going. Exercise can be a great way to warm up and banish those winter blues.
You can always chose to do all your winter exercise sessions but it would be a real shame to miss out on those fresh and crisp winter days. It is always easier to warm up when exercising than it is to try and cool yourself down. When you workout in the winter it is more important than ever that you warm up properly. Rather than just stretching your muscles, warm up with a brisk walk and keep increasing your pace until you feel fully warmed up. If you are exercising outside, it may be a good idea to warm up inside first, if your muscles are not warmed up fully before exercising then your chance of injury is greater. Start slowly and gradually build up your intensity.
If you are going to brave the winter conditions and exercise outside, then you need to kit yourself out properly. You need to wear several layers of clothes, with the first being something thin that won't stick too much to your skin. Your second layer should be heavier such as a sweatshirt or fleece that will keep your body nice and warm. Your final layer needs to be something that will protect you from all elements of weather such as wind and rain, such as a waterproof jacket. If you get to warm then you can always remove a layer or unzip it. A hat and gloves is also a good idea.
If you are determined to exercise inside for the whole winter, then try to vary your workouts to starve of boredom and loss of interest. Vary your cardio activities and mix it up with some strength training. Try and find a new group activity to take up for the winter such as spinning or aerobics. You could always start your routine indoors before finishing up outdoors or vice versa. A good run on a crisp winter's day will really blow the cobwebs away and can be very exhilarating.
Don't abandon your exercise regime during the winter, embrace the cold snap and you will emerge in spring feeling better than ever.
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