Snow Days Are the Best!
Bite This: Approximately 30% of gym-goers don't make it there when the weather is bad.
Okay, so I may have made that up. But what do you do when you can't make it to the gym? This is something that I discuss frequently with the participants in my weight loss study. In order to make exercise a habit and a lifestyle change, you have to make it a priority. And if it is a priority, then you do it, no matter what. Just as brushing your teeth, doing the laundry, or taking a shower are priorities (at least for some). You may not necessarily enjoy doing it, but you do it. The women in my weight loss study don't get this. They look for any excuse to NOT exercise and their favorite excuse? The weather.
So what do avid exercisers do when they cannot make it to the gym? They plan. They plan for days when they're buried under the snow and can't get out of their driveways. They plan for days when torrential downpour keeps them from running/walking outside. They plan for the cold, they plan for the dark, they plan for the heat and they plan for the humidity. They usually have their own exercise equipment whether it be hand weights, treadmill, stationary bike, etc. They usually have a library of workout DVDs - ones including aerobics, yoga, strength training, etc. Because when you make exercise a habit, it becomes a priority. And when it's a priority, you just do it.
Exercise is a lifelong healthy habit. I've discussed the benefits of exercise before, but it's so important that I am going to do it again. Exercise is good for:
1. Lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides
2. Exercise can help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, type II diabetes, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, depression, and the list goes on...
3. Elevating mood
4. Increasing muscle mass and strength
5. Increasing sexual function
6. Enhancing sleep quality
7. Increasing energy level
8. Increasing concentration
9. Reducing stress
10. Improving complexion
Do you need more? There are others! I am such an advocate for exercise and I really try to practice what I preach. Exercise may not necessarily help you lose weight (it will at first if you don't regularly exercise) but it will help maintain any weight that you've lost or help prevent weight gain. And with all of the aforementioned benefits, why wouldn't you make exercise a daily thing? It doesn't even take much - 30 minutes or less than 1/24th of your day....you can even do 15 minutes at a time! You can do anything for 15 minutes. (Except maybe hold your breath under water...)
I've had two wonderful days off from work because of the snow. And I still managed to exercise both days. It can be done!
Sound bite: Plan out your workouts for the next week and try to get at least 4 days of doing something.
Okay, so I may have made that up. But what do you do when you can't make it to the gym? This is something that I discuss frequently with the participants in my weight loss study. In order to make exercise a habit and a lifestyle change, you have to make it a priority. And if it is a priority, then you do it, no matter what. Just as brushing your teeth, doing the laundry, or taking a shower are priorities (at least for some). You may not necessarily enjoy doing it, but you do it. The women in my weight loss study don't get this. They look for any excuse to NOT exercise and their favorite excuse? The weather.
So what do avid exercisers do when they cannot make it to the gym? They plan. They plan for days when they're buried under the snow and can't get out of their driveways. They plan for days when torrential downpour keeps them from running/walking outside. They plan for the cold, they plan for the dark, they plan for the heat and they plan for the humidity. They usually have their own exercise equipment whether it be hand weights, treadmill, stationary bike, etc. They usually have a library of workout DVDs - ones including aerobics, yoga, strength training, etc. Because when you make exercise a habit, it becomes a priority. And when it's a priority, you just do it.
Exercise is a lifelong healthy habit. I've discussed the benefits of exercise before, but it's so important that I am going to do it again. Exercise is good for:
1. Lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides
2. Exercise can help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, type II diabetes, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, depression, and the list goes on...
3. Elevating mood
4. Increasing muscle mass and strength
5. Increasing sexual function
6. Enhancing sleep quality
7. Increasing energy level
8. Increasing concentration
9. Reducing stress
10. Improving complexion
Do you need more? There are others! I am such an advocate for exercise and I really try to practice what I preach. Exercise may not necessarily help you lose weight (it will at first if you don't regularly exercise) but it will help maintain any weight that you've lost or help prevent weight gain. And with all of the aforementioned benefits, why wouldn't you make exercise a daily thing? It doesn't even take much - 30 minutes or less than 1/24th of your day....you can even do 15 minutes at a time! You can do anything for 15 minutes. (Except maybe hold your breath under water...)
I've had two wonderful days off from work because of the snow. And I still managed to exercise both days. It can be done!
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| His and Hers Snow Angels |
What do you do when you cannot workout outside or make it to the gym?
My favorite DVDs include Jillian Michaels- No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism - and all of the Insanity DVDs.
Shoveling snow counted as one of my work outs this week. Thankfully the snow day was not immediately after leg day in the gym :)
ReplyDeleteShoveling snow can be an awesome workout! It gets your heart rate up, as well as some resistance training for your shoulders, arms and back.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbors all have snow blowers, so they make fun of us for taking hours to shovel (with snowball fight breaks) while they finish their driveways in under 20 minutes. They think we like to shovel.