subject: Four Ways To Get Healthy And Stay Fit This Winter [print this page] As most would expect, getting fit during the winter is harder than any other time of the year.
The temperature drops so it can mean going for run isn't as appealing; the nights draw in a lot earlier, often meaning going home and getting set for the night is the preferred choice to going to the gym; more carbohydrates and fats are usually consumed to keep your energy level and body temperature up and the fact that Christmas is approaching simply means a lot of people don't have the time to work out, as they're too busy buying presents and making arrangements for the festive period.
Whilst the feat of staying fit this winter can seem almost impossible, it very often just takes a little thought and these four tips will help you from piling on the pounds over the coming months.
1. Pay for your gym membership upfront - the issue that a lot of people have with gym attendance is that as they can very often 'pay as you go', if they don't go, they don't lose any money.
If you can pay in advance for your membership, whether it's for the month or the year, chances are you're going to feel obliged to attend so to get your money's worth and not waste what could be in excess of several hundred pounds over the year.
2. Take homemade soup for lunch - a lot easier to make than most would believe, soup is a fantastic option for lunch throughout the winter and it's not only warm, but extremely filling, too.
And to make it all you have to do is get a selection of your favourite vegetables, wash them, cut into chunks and place into a large pan. Add some boiling water and a stock cube, a bit of salt and pepper and a bay leaf or two if you have them and just let it boil until the vegetables are soft.
Take off the heat, put in your hand blender, use until it's at the consistency that you like your soup and you've got yourself a pan of soup that can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for a few weeks.
3. Go out walking during the day - during the winter it can be difficult to increase your fitness levels and motivation to exercise can be extremely low, especially in respect of attending the gym during the cold nights.
If this is the case, try walking instead. You don't have to walk miles each day, but if you can spend 30 minutes on your lunch at work going out for a walk, you'll be surprised at not only how much your fitness levels increase, but how awake and alert you feel on the afternoon.
4. Do your shopping when it's light - this might sound a little strange, but if you do your food shopping when it's light, you're less likely to make impulse buys and purchase food that you don't actually want.
The reason behind this is that when it's dark, your body naturally thinks it's night time and is cold outside, meaning that you get into your mind that you want something comforting to eat whilst you warm up at home, such as a bar of chocolate or a cake.
You might not think it will work, but if you can shop during the day, chances are you'll save money on your food bills and also lose weight as you're less likely to be buying and eating calorific foods.
