Top 5 Cold Weather Workouts

It's challenging to stay fit during fall and winter, especially when you're baking all types of goodies with the kids or grandkids and aren't as motivated to get outside and move. Fortunately, there are some fantastic cold weather workouts that can help you get through the chilly months looking good and feeling great.

Jog or Walk Outdoors

If you enjoy jogging or walking outside, you don't have to sacrifice this activity even when the mercury drops. Here are some tips for a successful winter walk or jog:

• Stay hydrated. You won't sweat like you do in the summer, but you can still become dehydrated if you're not careful. Find an insulated water bottle, so your water doesn't become too cold to drink — or even freeze altogether.

• Choose a well-maintained route. You don't want to end up slipping on ice and hurting yourself. Stick to roads and walkways that you know the city keeps clear of ice and snow.

• Dress properly. Wear layers so that you can take off the top layer and avoid overheating when you're in the most intense part of your workout. If the weather is below 20 Fahrenheit, you might want to wear a mask or place a scarf over your nose and mouth; this will increase the humidity of the air you're breathing and help you to avoid the burning sensation in the lungs that can come with cold, dry air.

Use the Snow

If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, you can take advantage of the white wonder as part of your fitness routine. Hiking through snow is an excellent way to work out your legs since you'll have to lift them higher in order to move.

You can also turn shoveling snow into a workout. When you do this, try to do an even number of reps on each side so as many muscles as possible get a workout. It might feel strange to shovel with your non-dominant hand in the lead, but your body will thank you for it.

Whatever workout you do in the snow, sandwich it with a proper warm-up and cool-down, just as you would for any other type of workout.

Hit the Gym

It's perfectly all right if you would rather avoid spending a lot of time outdoors during the winter. Use your gym membership to stay fit instead.

Utilize as much of the gym equipment as you can. Every few days, do a circuit on some of the weight-training machines. These are generally safer than using free weights, and you won't need a spotter to help you out. If you want to tone your muscles, choose a weight that is somewhat easy for you and do repetitions until your muscles fail. If you want to build muscle, choose a higher weight and do fewer repetitions.

On days when you aren't strength training, use a treadmill, elliptical, or other cardio machine to work up a nice sweat.

Take Fitness Classes

It is always nice to have a support system in place for your workouts. Fitness groups have that built-in support, and they're generally cheaper than hiring your own personal trainer.

One of the best types of groups to join is those that focus on cross training. These classes help you to increase strength, agility, and flexibility. You'll get to try a bunch of exercises you've never tried before, and you'll get to do them under the eye of a watchful professional who can help you stay safe.

Stay at Home

It's possible to have a fantastic workout right in the comfort of your own living room. With a few simple pieces of exercise equipment, such as hand weights, a resistance band, or an aerobic step, you can get those feel-good endorphins pumping.

Browse the internet in search of well-reviewed workout videos. Amazon Prime has some excellent choices, whether you want to do yoga, cardio, or any other type of exercise. You can also lcheck out YouTube or subscribe to a specialty fitness channel. Bookmark the routines you like best, so you'll have a variety of videos to turn to.

When you're using exercise videos, don't be so focused on keeping up with the person on the screen that you do the moves improperly. You could end up hurting yourself or getting less than ideal results.

Cold weather is a time for comfort food and curling up by the fire with a good book, but it is also a time to make sure that you don't let your exercise routine go by the wayside. Stay in shape with the above-listed cold weather workouts.