Staying Active During the Winter Months

The days grow shorter and colder, and the holidays approach, so it is easy to not be as active and fit as in the warmer months. You may find that with preparing for the holidays, as well as all that baking and visiting with friends and family, makes you more sedentary, too.


But as we get older, it is important to not become too much of a couch potato. Staying active and fit helps to extend our lives and to strengthen arthritic joints. So, try out the following simple ways to stay fit in the winter months:

• No need for the gym - There are many phone apps available now that help you to find fun workouts inside, from aerobics to yoga.
  
• Get outside - Even if it is cold, grab a friend or relative and go out for a nice trail walk, or jog, if you can handle it. This is a really good option if you are sick and are not really up to a more intense workout. Wherever you are, you can find a good walking trail at this website. 
• Work in a work out - If you do not have the time to have a scheduled work out, try to fit a bit of a workout into whatever it is you are doing. If you are shopping, try to walk the longest possible distance between various stores so that you can get more of a workout. If you are in an area with snow and you are physically up to it, shovel some snow - you can burn 400 calories per hour. And by the way, you can burn 85 calories by decorating the Christmas tree!
• Consider indoor exercise equipment - We recommend the SportsArt E80C Residential Elliptical, which is pictured below. This will provide you with a low impact, cardiovascular workout that will keep you fit all year long.