Lifestyle Fitness
Ways to stay
active
Winter probably isn’t your favourite season for getting fit. But there are many good reasons to keep active in wintertime. For instance, according to the NHS, regular exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50 per cent (and those are just some of the benefits we could mention). How much time you spend being
active is also important. If you want to stay healthy, the government recommends being active every day and achieving at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week through a variety of activities. Any exercise you do should make
you move quickly enough to raise your heart rate, breathe faster and feel warmer. The good news is there are lots of ways of achieving this, both indoors and out.
Indoor pursuits Wrapping up and staying on your sofa isn't the only option when it’s cold and icy outside. Here are a few suggestions to help keep your activity levels up indoors:
Skipping If you have enough space, a skipping rope doesn’t cost much and it will keep you fit (start by doing just a minute or two, as skipping is much harder than it looks).
20 All About health
winter this
Exercise may be the last thing you want to do when it’s cold outside. But staying active all year round is important for your health
Dancing You don’t have to be a Strictly fan to enjoy a bit of a dance around your living room. Dancing is a great way to burn calories, get your heart pumping and have fun. Look for a dance-based DVD if you would like to follow an instructor.
YouTube workouts There’s a huge range of workouts on YouTube that you can follow for free on your laptop, desktop computer, tablet or even your smartphone. Visit
youtube.com and type ‘fitness workout’ into the search box and you’ll find plenty of workouts to choose from. You can also exercise indoors at your
local sports or leisure centre. Most have various activities on offer, including badminton, squash, netball and instructor-led exercise classes, or try using the treadmill, exercise bike or rowing machine if your local leisure centre has a gym.
Outdoor fun If you like the idea of getting out into the fresh air, taking a brisk walk or a steady jog around your nearest green space is a great way of boosting your fitness at this time of year. Take care, however if there’s ice around – avoid walking, running or jogging on slippery surfaces, or you could end up with an injury.
However, exercising in cold weather
may not be suitable if you are living with a health condition. Always check with your GP if you're new to exercise, if you have a medical condition or if you're older, or ask your local Careway pharmacist for advice.
Find your nearest Careway pharmacy at
www.careway.co.uk/ find-a-pharmacy.
How to stay warm
If you’re going outdoors to exercise, it’s important to keep yourself warm. Before you leave home make
sure you've had a good warm-up as the cold can make your muscles tighten and cause an injury. Try marching on the spot for at least five minutes to warm your muscles up before going outside. Wear several light layers of clothing
as this tends to keep you warmer than wearing one thick layer. And if it’s really cold outside, put your jacket on the radiator for 10 minutes before you leave the house. Since you lose a lot of body heat through your head, it's a good idea to wear a warm hat too.
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