This time of year, it might seem easier to press the snooze and snuggle up in bed a little longer. You might be caught in a whirlwind of holiday plans, heavy foods and out of town visitors.
There’s always an excuse to put off your workout no matter what the weather looks like, but there’s no benefits, and you actually might be missing out on that extra boost of holiday cheer. Ruffier Fitness, an Akron Gym, hears every reason in the books to cast fitness aside once the weather gets cold, but we’re here to tell you why you’ll be glad you didn’t slow down.
1. Fight off Seasonal Depression
When our days get shorter, the nights and mornings get colder, we naturally start slipping into an emotional slump. With the sudden drain on our vitamin D supply combined with a hard stop to stop to some of our favorite activities, it’s hard to stay positive and productive.
Did you know that strenuous exercise performed at least twice a week is shown to work as well as a low level antidepressant? The natural endorphins from a good workout will easily put the spring back in your step. If you’re looking for accountability to make sure you don’t miss out on this emotional benefit, look into a personal trainer in your area to keep you going.
2. More Room for Seconds
While you might not look forward to colder weather, there’s no argument that so many of our favorite foods start coming out. This of course is a good thing and a bad thing, since there’s more temptation to over indulge in high calorie treats.
If you dedicate yourself to consistent, strength, cardio and flexibility centered workouts, your natural muscle mass helps you burn calories much easier, so there’s no need to feel guilty when you enjoy another helping of mom’s mashed potatoes. A personal trainer can show you how to stay motivated to get your workout in and how to perform essential exercises properly and safely.
3. Boost Your Immune System
Cold and Flu season is unavoidable, but a healthy heart and low body fat percentage can help. Studies on exercise and immunity show that physical activity helps your lungs flush out viruses and bacteria, help promote the production of white blood cells and antibodies, help reduce immune system damaging stress hormones, and help raise your body temperature to be a less friendly environment for any viruses and bacteria that would put us under the weather.
Combined with a diet full of fruits and vegetables, enough water, and enough sleep, your body becomes an illness fighting machine. Commit to a solid workout routine and you’ll be able to harness your health even with dropping temperatures.
4. Stay Strong and Prevent Injuries
Don’t become another slip and fall statistic. If done properly, exercise can strengthen your joints and keep your muscles flexible which can help prevent injury. You can also train your natural reflexes so your body will naturally correct itself before falling.
5. Stay Warmer | Burn More Calories
You’ll shiver less, and burn calories more easily. Exercise helps your body regulate it’s own temperature. Only 20% of the energy produced while working out out goes to contracting muscles, the other 80% is converted to heat energy. Movement creates heat, heat burns calories.
How to Get Motivated for Workout in Cold Weather
A lot of what it takes to stick with a goal for anything in your life centers around being able to see it in front of us, or having someone to help us stay accountable.
- Write your workouts down at the beginning of the day so it becomes a real part of your schedule.
- Use apps like MyFitnessPal to track your progress and be accountable to the calories you take in and burn off.
- Plan to workout with a friend or find a meetup to build a community around your personal fitness.
- Hire a personal trainer to lean on and help you get motivated for a workout, perform it properly, and be in your corner for all of your fitness goals.
Work with a Personal Trainer at an Akron Gym to Help you Stay Motivated to Workout This Winter
Ruffier Fitness at historic canal place serves the Akron area and is helping clients at all levels get to the height of their physical potential. It’s more than about losing weight, or looking good, which are certainly great goals to aspire to. It’s about finding a way to incorporate a healthy lifestyle that fits with your own.
A good personal trainer can show you how to stay motivated to work out and embrace the unknown during your fitness journey, even when it starts getting cold and you don’t feel like doing anything. Your consultation is free, so come by and get started with a personal trainer in Akron today.
