Leaving the warmth of a blanket and getting out of the cozy bed on a chilly morning is one of the toughest challenges a fitness conscious person faces during winters. Is your fitness regime also cold-struck this season? Here are the seven simple ways you can use to prevent yourself from being a couch potato this fall and make your workout winter-proof.
Explore Alternatives: To avoid chilling your bones outside, you could choose an indoor alternative. Instead of running in the open air, use a treadmill till the temperature outside becomes pleasant.
Joining a sports club is yet another option which can make you sweat without bearing the brunt of the cold weather. You can also choose home workout alternatives during winters like skipping, yoga, aerobics and resistance bands among others.
Include Healthy Carbs in Diet: The reduced exposure to sunlight in the season decreases the level of Vitamin D in our bodies. This, in turn, reduces the serotonin level which makes us crave for carbohydrates. Along with the maintenance of serotonin level, carbohydrates are also required to keep our bodies warm. It is therefore advisable to eat a healthy and a balanced diet which includes more cooked food like porridge, baked vegetables instead of raw, and hot soups.
You should choose “slow carbs” to satisfy the craving for carbohydrate-rich food. The slow carbs are usually high in fibre and do not cause a sudden rise in glucose level in blood. For instance, food like beans, peas, quinoa, vegetables, oats, barley, and other whole grains gradually impact the level of glucose and give a sense of satisfaction if balanced with fibres.
Warm-up Before Workout: Due to the cold weather our muscles are comparatively tightened and the bodies stiffer. This increases the likeliness of injuries during a workout in the winter season. Active warming up of the body before exercise is thereby crucial to prevent injuries. Warm-ups improve the elasticity of connective tissues and muscles and reduce the risk of muscle tear. Heating the muscles through stretching, jumping and brisk walking should be made a part of the winter workout routine to remain injury free.
Protection for Head and Hand: Head and hand often get ignored while upgrading the wardrobe for winter workouts. However, it is equally important to ensure these two parts of your body get properly protected. Choose a cap made of warm and breathable material which cover your ears completely. Putting on gloves to protect your hand from the chilling cold while exercising outside is also crucial. Gloves should have some uncovered finger area to ensure that it enables the use of mobile and other gadgets so that you don’t have to take it off frequently.
Remain Hydrated: Winter workouts can cause a remarkable amount of dehydration in your body. The loss of water from the body is almost the same as exercising during summers, but since the perspiration is less, we ignore increasing the water intake.
You should keep sipping a sufficient amount of water to keep yourself hydrated. It would also reduce the risk injuries during exercises caused by dehydration. Apart from drinking water at room temperature, you can also keep yourself hydrated with warm beverages restricting the amount of sugar intake.
Find a Workout Partner: It is understandably hard to keep oneself motivated to follow the fitness routine when the temperature outside is uncomfortable. The best way out is to get a company to share the discomfort of pushing yourself out of bed for exercising. Find a friend who would accompany you during the workouts and keep winter workout motivation intact.
Wrap your Body in Layers: Layering up is important because the temperature of the body rises once you workout and it will make you feel warmer. You can layer your body with a thermal, a high neck T-shirt on top and a windcheater/ sweat jacket over it. With a gradual increase in body warmth, you will always have an option to remove the windcheater/sweat jacket. The jacket should preferably be of a breathable material like nylon. Gym track pants or running tights are normally enough to keep the feet warm, but in case of sudden temperature drops, fleece lined tights are ideal.
One should always remember that even though layering is essential for a winter-proof workout, you should not overload yourself with clothes. It is equally important to let the body feel free and comfortable while you exercise.
Read More:- Tips to Choose your Hoodie This Winter Season
Follow the above-mentioned tips and make your fitness regime winter ready. To keep exercising in style, you can check the exclusive A/W collection of winter workout wear by Sporto Red. The trendy fitness outfits like hoodies, full sleeve T-shirts, sweat jackets by Sporto Red will make your workout fashionably winter-proof.