February 1st, 2014 - Let's Get Moving!

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.