Winter
Exercise Options in the High Desert
Does the mere mention of exercise stop you in your tracks? Does the thought of working out
intimidate you? Afraid of going to the gym because you think everyone in the
High Desert is looking at you? You are not alone, especially in the High
Desert, where the weather can be very unpredictable. Now that February is here
and real winter weather is upon us, it is even more difficult to get outdoors
and move your body. The month of February is historically 14 degrees cooler
than January in the High Desert, as reported on www.wunderground.com. Exercise during extreme weather changes
can certainly become a challenge, especially if you are new to a regular
exercise program. There are many successful ways to sneak in some exercises, without
even realizing you are doing it!
The
Sneaky-Exercise List
·
Walk more! Park your car far from the
entrance. This saves gas and time, since circling the parking lot for a closer
spot only wastes time and gasoline. The sneaky part? You won’t even realize you
are exercising, simply by walking a little further to get to the entrance.
·
Stretch more! While sitting at a task,
such as blogging on High Desert Bloggers, set a timer for 30 minutes to stand
up and stretch. This is an ergonomic trick to rest your eyes, and while you are
standing, reach for the sky like your life depends on it! Inhale deeply while
you raise your hands, then slowly exhale while you bring your arms back down.
·
Dress to impress! Put your work-out
clothes on, even if you are not planning on working out. This little trick will
tell your mind that your body is ready to move. Put on your walking shoes, your
running sneakers, or your hiking boots. Subconsciously, your mind will think,
“I might as well work up a sweat since I have my work-out clothes on.”
·
Make a date with an exercise buddy (or
two or three)! Being accountable to someone else is an excellent way to stick
to a new routine. For the beginner, working-out with a buddy will make sure you
will make the time to build in exercise. Coming up with new (believable)
excuses to cancel will soon run out. Your exercise buddy will hold you to your
promise, and you won’t want to let them down. After all, it is for your own
good, and good for your buddy!
·
Get technical! During the cold winter
months, you don’t have to go outside to work-out. There are many options to
work-out indoors, for example, use the Wii Sport game, or a similar game-system
program. Visit www.youtube.com and search for “online workout fitness programs”
and get moving! Only 20 minutes a day, five days a week, will be a great start
to improving your health.
The first step is the worst – just get started!
Don’t make unreasonable expectations for yourself, and just keep going. The
benefits are immeasurable! For instance, you will be sleeping better, and
feeling better. Little by little, you will have more endurance, for those times
when you need to climb a flight of stairs unexpectedly. By exercising and
moving more, you will start to consider your caloric intake, also. The nice
thing is that the more you move, then you can eat what you want, within reason.
The more you move, the more calories you burn, the more you can eat what you
want.
