Just because your bikini and shorts have been retired to the back of the closet, not to see the light of day until next spring, doesn’t mean that you can afford to take your foot off the gas when it comes to staying on top of your fitness goals. After all, great summer bodies are made in the winter. As the cold weather sets in and the mornings and evenings are at best murky gray and at worst pitch black, finding the motivation to keep pushing for perfection can be tricky.
Not only can the dank and miserable weather rob the well intentioned of their motivation, the cold can increase your risk of injury (especially when working out outdoors) that can seriously derail your fitness goals.
Thus, we’ve compiled this handy guide to the caveats of staying active in the cold fall weather and how to leap effortlessly over the inherent hurdles of the season with the inevitable festive indulgence of Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us. Heed this advice and you’ll stay on track and motivated while, of course, keeping your activities frugal and avoiding excessive spending…
Cold Weather & Injury Risk
Think of your muscles as lumps of clay. When warm they’re flexible and pliant but when cold they become more rigid and brittle. Try to treat cold clay as you would warm clay and what happens? Inevitably, it breaks. While of course your muscles are unlikely to snap, the cold tightens the muscles (particularly in the extremities like our arms, legs, hands and feet) and seriously increases your risk of straining and tearing muscles which could lead to a potentially debilitating injury. Warming up and cooling down with light reps and stretching is just good practice in any exercise regimen but its importance is amplified in the cold weather.
Dress To Progress
While nobody wants to spend a fortune on new equipment, it’s important to dress appropriately for your exercise in the cold weather to keep your muscles warm and pliant. It’s important to use layers to your advantage, layering light garments on top of one another to insulate your muscles from the cold without overdressing in heavy outer garments which will make you sweat excessively.
Speaking of sweat, make sure you dress in clothes that will keep sweat away from your skin (as this will make you feel colder). Get yourself to BestSweatBands.com to get some headbands that will absorb sweat without restricting your activities and a build on a polypropylene base layer while avoiding cottons which will keep sweat glued to your body.
Hibernation Instinct, And Why You Need To Fight It
Cold and dark mornings can awaken a dormant human instinct to hibernate. It can be extremely testing to haul yourself out of bed and hit the gym when your every instinct is screaming at you to load up on calories and bury yourself under the covers. Many a well laid plan has been derailed by this common but insidious instinct. The good news is that once the difficult first steps have been taken, fighting this instinct becomes much easier, and the endorphin hit that comes with regular exercise will help to keep the winter blues at bay. Start the day with a run, some high intensity interval training or a trip to the gym followed by a nutrient rich smoothie and you’ll start the day off on the best possible note without spending a fortune.
Making good food choices
‘Tis the season for culinary excess and while it’s oh-so-tempting to write the rest of the year off there’s no need to derail your progress with poor food choices. The internet, including Frugal Fitness is rich with delicious yet nutritious recipes for Christmas and Thanksgiving and if you’re willing to put a little time and effort into your culinary creations you can dine like royalty on healthy comfort food without compromising your fitness or breaking the bank. While there are a whole lot of seasonal temptations on offer, a little effort and discipline will help you avoid temptation while still enjoying the season.
Stay Motivated By Thinking Of The Benefits
Keeping your eye on the prize is more important in the colder months but if it helps, just think of the benefits of staying active in the cold months while others retreat to the couch! Not only will exercise increase your immunity to cold and flu viruses, you’ll stay lean and trim while your peers are lamenting their expanding winter waistlines.
Fall Into Frugal Fitness
The cold weather can seriously derail your progress in the realm of fitness but by sticking to the above caveats you can stay on track while still enjoying the season. Fall into Frugal Fitness with the right autumn health and wellness strategies.
Not only can the dank and miserable weather rob the well intentioned of their motivation, the cold can increase your risk of injury (especially when working out outdoors) that can seriously derail your fitness goals.
Thus, we’ve compiled this handy guide to the caveats of staying active in the cold fall weather and how to leap effortlessly over the inherent hurdles of the season with the inevitable festive indulgence of Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us. Heed this advice and you’ll stay on track and motivated while, of course, keeping your activities frugal and avoiding excessive spending…
Cold Weather & Injury Risk
Think of your muscles as lumps of clay. When warm they’re flexible and pliant but when cold they become more rigid and brittle. Try to treat cold clay as you would warm clay and what happens? Inevitably, it breaks. While of course your muscles are unlikely to snap, the cold tightens the muscles (particularly in the extremities like our arms, legs, hands and feet) and seriously increases your risk of straining and tearing muscles which could lead to a potentially debilitating injury. Warming up and cooling down with light reps and stretching is just good practice in any exercise regimen but its importance is amplified in the cold weather.
Dress To Progress
While nobody wants to spend a fortune on new equipment, it’s important to dress appropriately for your exercise in the cold weather to keep your muscles warm and pliant. It’s important to use layers to your advantage, layering light garments on top of one another to insulate your muscles from the cold without overdressing in heavy outer garments which will make you sweat excessively.
Speaking of sweat, make sure you dress in clothes that will keep sweat away from your skin (as this will make you feel colder). Get yourself to BestSweatBands.com to get some headbands that will absorb sweat without restricting your activities and a build on a polypropylene base layer while avoiding cottons which will keep sweat glued to your body.
Hibernation Instinct, And Why You Need To Fight It
Cold and dark mornings can awaken a dormant human instinct to hibernate. It can be extremely testing to haul yourself out of bed and hit the gym when your every instinct is screaming at you to load up on calories and bury yourself under the covers. Many a well laid plan has been derailed by this common but insidious instinct. The good news is that once the difficult first steps have been taken, fighting this instinct becomes much easier, and the endorphin hit that comes with regular exercise will help to keep the winter blues at bay. Start the day with a run, some high intensity interval training or a trip to the gym followed by a nutrient rich smoothie and you’ll start the day off on the best possible note without spending a fortune.
Making good food choices
‘Tis the season for culinary excess and while it’s oh-so-tempting to write the rest of the year off there’s no need to derail your progress with poor food choices. The internet, including Frugal Fitness is rich with delicious yet nutritious recipes for Christmas and Thanksgiving and if you’re willing to put a little time and effort into your culinary creations you can dine like royalty on healthy comfort food without compromising your fitness or breaking the bank. While there are a whole lot of seasonal temptations on offer, a little effort and discipline will help you avoid temptation while still enjoying the season.
Stay Motivated By Thinking Of The Benefits
Keeping your eye on the prize is more important in the colder months but if it helps, just think of the benefits of staying active in the cold months while others retreat to the couch! Not only will exercise increase your immunity to cold and flu viruses, you’ll stay lean and trim while your peers are lamenting their expanding winter waistlines.
Fall Into Frugal Fitness
The cold weather can seriously derail your progress in the realm of fitness but by sticking to the above caveats you can stay on track while still enjoying the season. Fall into Frugal Fitness with the right autumn health and wellness strategies.
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