Old man winter is up to his old tricks again and throwing everything he’s got at you to keep you from your morning jog! This is definitely the time of year when your body resists getting out of bed the most. And it’s certainly the time when outdoor exercise appears on the bottom of your “To Do” list.
But who ever said you would have to venture out into the snow to get your fitness fix?
Getting a fully satisfying workout is possible even when you’re stuck indoors. All it takes is a little creativity and drive to keep up with your fitness regimen.
Consider these great ways to stay fit until it’s warm enough to go outside:
1. Get creative with chores. Household chores are actually helpful when it comes to burning calories. If you’re home and snowed in, you might as well kill two birds with one stone – work out while getting the house tidy.
* If your home has multiple bathrooms, you’re in major luck because spending half an hour scrubbing the tubs burns around 200 calories.
* Your windows are probably overdue for a clean. You can burn 125 calories in about 30 minutes wiping them down.
* Reach for that vacuum cleaner and tackle the whole house if you can. Half an hour of vacuuming burns about 90 calories.
2. Use your house to your advantage. If you take a moment to look around, you’ll realize that your house has more alternatives for workout equipment than your local gym! Take a look at these ideas for using the house to your fitness advantage:
* If you dig through your kids’ bedrooms, you’ll likely be able to find a cute, multi-colored skipping rope. As long as you can skip through without tripping yourself, you can expect to burn about 190 calories in 15 minutes or as many as 400 calories in half an hour!
* Your stairs are an excellent exercise tool. Start running up and down those steps for the ultimate workout. Fitness gurus include step exercises in their challenging workouts, so you’ll be on the right track.
* Putting away laundry and toys seems like an effortless exercise, but if you pack something away in high cupboards you can make it worth your while. Every bit of effort you have to expend to pack stuff away by jumping and tippy-toeing is worth every calorie you’ll burn in the process.
3. Use workout DVDs. A good 30-minute boot camp might just be what you need to stay on track with your fitness regimen.
4. Hang out with the kids. Make it a fun day and enjoy yourself romping around with the kids. You’ll get plenty of exercise, burn lots of calories, and make warm memories you’ll all remember for years to come!
If you want to achieve consistency with your fitness efforts, the last thing you should think about is taking a break from exercise because you’re snowed in. Take advantage of the weather and get all the exercise you need indoors without feeling like a slave to the workout!
