Exercise in Winter

Be Bold. Take on the Cold

The benefits of exercise go without saying, increased fitness, stamina and weight loss, but the advantages of frequent exercise go much deeper, especially during these winter months.

Let’s be honest, leaving the house in winter is difficult, let alone exercising, its cold and dull and everything you do during these months just seems like an effort, exercise might just be the “get up and go” medicine everyone’s been looking for.

Exercising produces endorphins, when these hormones are released into the body, they cause a sense of well-being, they are your body’s natural defence again depression and the winter blues. Exercising for just 30 minutes a day at least 3 times per week can increase your sense of well being and improve your mood without turning to a medical alternative.

The right combination of exercise and good nutrition creates a hormonal environment conducive to fat loss, increased muscle strength and increased energy. When your body is working at peak efficiency, your energy levels soar! When your body is in great physical condition and when you begin to achieve the goals you set for yourself your self-confidence and self-respect spike. Confidence empowers you in everything you do. You will find that the self-discipline required and learned through regular exercise is channelled into other areas of your life and you will be better able to make other necessary and desirable changes.

Adding on the pounds during winter because it’s too chilly to get into an exercise routine will only make it harder when summer comes around and you have twice the work to do. Develop and stick to your exercise routine and you’ll see the pounds fly off as well as your mental health improve. Remember to set goals that you can measure as you go along; monitor your progress so you can celebrate your success.

To be happy as a whole you have to be satisfied with yourself as a person, mind and body. Therefore if you don’t respect your own body, how do you expect others to respect you? Treat your body as a temple and you will shine.

How to fix all this?

I’m not going to lie to you, this is not easy, nothing great in this world came without a price. It’s going to take dedication, determination, will-power, perseverance and a never-say-die attitude, but it’s not impossible. Nothing in life is impossible.

First things first. Look at yourself and set attainable and realistic goals. You don’t want to scare yourself and give up before you even start. If your goal is just to stay the same till summer comes, that’s an accomplishment by itself, because 75% of people put on at least 5kg during the winter months. Ten to one your dedication will surprise you and you will come out leaner, and slimmer.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Find someone you can work with, it’s easier when there are 2 of you; it is more unlikely that you will cancel, and it will help you get motivation to start.
2. Find someone to be a drill sergeant and put you through your paces; book your appointments in advance so it becomes a commitment.
3. Get off the couch and just do it. Daily exercise will make you feel better about yourself and give you a sense of accomplishment and competency.
4. Most importantly, remember that you doing this for YOURSELF and no one else, because pleasure comes from within and not from others around you.
5. GET STARTED

I’ll leave you with a couple of quotes to keep you motivated:

“We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.” Frank Tibolt

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate: our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves who am i to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. Actually who are you not to be?” Akeelah and the bee

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” Herm Albright