Don’t Let Cold Weather Keep You From Exercising

by Susan Patterson

As fall and winter settle in, many new dieters have to move their exercise routines indoors to keep up with their weight loss success. Many people find this difficult, as they think they will finally have to face the reality of working out in a gym. People who are severely overweight may be extremely uncomfortable with this idea and give up entirely. But don’t despair; just because you exercise inside does not mean you have to go to a gym to do it. Follow these suggestions for moving your workouts indoors.

Find a local recreation center. Run by the county government, these facilities may have an indoor track. If not, they may also have basketball and racquetball courts. As long as you are not interfering with any activities in progress, you could walk around the perimeter of the court several times. If the court is empty, try jump-roping or doing sprints and other calisthenics to make the most of your time. Take up racquetball and play by yourself or with a partner. Racquetball is a great whole-body workout, and a few short sessions a week will do the trick. It may pay to get a monthly pass.

Hit the mall. Your local mall is its own track. Try walking all the way around several times and go up and down some stairs for an extra boost. Beware of the temptations; many malls have smoothie shops that contain seemingly healthy drinks that have loads of unneeded calories or sugar. Bring your own water with you. If you want to treat yourself, keep it to once a week and do your homework beforehand so you know what the best options are.

Exercise at home. If you know that you can afford to, pick a piece of exercise equipment and use it daily such as a stair stepper, elliptical trainer or treadmill. Even if you can’t afford any of those, there are some great workout DVDs you can use to get in shape. Check some out free at the library, or buy used ones on eBay. You can always download workouts to your iPod for free and follow them that way. Many pieces of exercise equipment are low-priced, such as mats, balance ball, jump ropes, and more.

Pay attention to your diet. People tend to eat more and move less when it gets cold outside. Step up your healthy eating habits by paying special attention to calories. Keep taking whatever diet pills or supplements have been working for you. If you find that you are hungry even though you are moving less, you may want to try adding a natural appetite suppressant like hoodia to your program. Find new healthier recipes for your favorite comfort foods, and be careful what you eat, especially around the holidays.