Tips for Battling the Winter Workout Slump

Work outs seem almost perfect for spring and summer. Warm weather months allow you to comfortably run outdoors and hike in t-shirts and shorts. Yet, it's often in the winter that exercise is most needed. People tend to spend the majority of their time indoors during the winter, avoiding snow and cold weather. The holidays come along, and indulging is sweets is an annual and often irresistible tradition during December. However, there is hope. Try these easy tips to get re-energized when carbohydrates are making you slugging and when the weather makes you want to hide under the covers.

Winter Work Out Alternatives

First of all, you want to have several work out plans to choose from. Pick ones that don't require battling the sleet, snow or wind. Keep a stash of work out tapes at hand. You may opt to rent a few work out DVDs on a consistent basis on Netflix, but it's probably cheaper to simply buy several second hand. There are all kinds of work out tapes, from country line dancing to 5-mile walks in your living room to hula hooping as you watch a host along the shores of Hawaii. There's even a work out by Alyssa Milano filmed in the 1980s geared solely to teens entitled "Teen Steam" that can still be found on websites like eBay. Any exercise you can entertain doing is probably on dvd or video.

Keep a play list of dance music on your computer. Simply turn on some tunes and get moving. Choreograph your own moves, or see if you can remember how Beyonce danced in her music video. If it's oldies, try to remember the swim and the twist. Set a timer for thirty minutes and try to move (while drinking plenty of liquids and resting if you get over-tired) for a set amount of time. Don't overdo it. Make sure to wear sneakers, even when dancing indoors. You want to protect your feet and body.

Work Out Tips

Stay hydrated. During a winter workout, you may not feel as immediately thirsty as you do when running in the hot, summer sun. However, staying hydrated is equally important during a winter workout. Drink water before, during and after your work out.

Stretch before and after every work out. It's during the winter that it's tempting to skimp on some part of the work out, to go ahead and get it over with. However, skimping on stretching is not the way to go. You can cause harm to yourself, and you can make yourself so sore that you miss work outs for days or more. It's not worth it. Always stretch before and after every work out.

If it's in your budget, hire a personal trainer. You're far less likely to cancel a work out at the last minute if you've paid a personal trainer. Most personal trainers work on a tight schedule. If you cancel at the last minute, you'll likely still have to pay, if not all of the money, a good chunk of it. If you can't afford a trainer, try to work out with a friend, then hold one another equally accountable as though you were a personal trainer.