Exercise is an activity that is beneficial for everyone regardless of their age or health status. Why is exercise so vital? WebMD gives a few great reasons why we should workout:
- Weight loss
- To prevent chronic illnesses and conditions such as: heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, obesity, back pain, and osteoporosis
- Improved self esteem
- To help cope with stress
- Prevention of anxiety and depression
The spring and summer are great times to get outdoors and get in some physical activity, but the colder weather of fall and winter often presents a challenge to working out. This is especially true for those with conditions such as arthritis, and the elderly who find it harder to navigate the colder temperatures. When the weather turns too cold for outdoor workouts the perfect solution is to bring your workout indoors.
Indoor Workouts
There are numerous workouts that can be done in the privacy of one’s home with little to no equipment on hand. We will share some of these activities below.
Resistance Training
At the top of the list is resistance training. Resistance training can be done with just the use of your body weight or you can add equipment such as dumbbells and elastic bands to the routine. For those wanting to utilize resistance bands we offer loops that provide from extra light to extra heavy resistance. Some common bodyweight exercises include: pushups, squats, mountain climbers, and burpees. Some less taxing routines might be step-ups and calf raises. If you want to throw some weights into the mix you can try stair climbs with bicep curls, using either dumbbells or household objects.
Jumping
Jumping jacks are a simple cardiovascular exercise that doesn’t require any equipment usage, but if your child or grandchild has a jump rope laying around the house, you can use it to get your cardio in. There is also the old tried and true — walking. Walking can be just as effective indoors as outdoors. You can keep it simple by walking in place or make it a little more challenging by walking around the house and up and down the stairs. If you already have or don’t mind making the investment you can do your walking on a treadmill or pedal away on an exercise bike.
For those times when you want to venture outside of your home, here are some ideas for physical activities that are outside of your home, but still indoors:
- Walking in the mall
- Swimming in an indoor pool
- Taking a group exercise class at a gym or senior center
Don’t let the frigid fall/winter temperatures hinder your workout. Pick an indoor workout and get moving.
