How do I Choose the Best Winter Workout?

Choosing the best winter workout for your can depend on several factors. These include the climate where you live, whether you belong to a gym, your daily schedule, and what your physical activities are like in the other parts of the year. Other critical factors include the range of activities you like to do, any special needs you might have, and how easily you get bored.

If you are in training for a sport, whether winter is your on season or off season, that fact is sure to have an effect on your winter workout. Winter workout to prepare for a spring sport is likely to be largely guided by the coach or trainer of that spring sport. That person can help you prepare through the off-season so you hit the ground running, so to speak, on the first day of practice.

If you belong to a gym, your winter workout may be guided by the offerings they promote during the winter. Some people are happy doing the same workout year round, and some like to switch off. It’s possible to use winter to try something new — a spinning class or yoga — that you wouldn’t do in the summer, perhaps, if you would prefer to get your exercise outdoors.

How keen you are to get up in the dark or go outside with damp hair may be other factors that influence your winter workout. If the weather and limited light affect you, it’s good to choose a workout that you’ll be inspired to stick to and where bad weather won’t get in your way. But if you plan to get your winter workout cross-country skiing or snow shoeing, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan in case there isn’t very much snow.

Some people are happy sticking to the same exercise plan all year round, and if you have limited opportunities to exercise and have to be ready to grab the chance when you can, this can make the difference between some exercise and no exercise. For example, a mother of young children who can grab thirty minutes while her husband and children eat breakfast, can dash out the door and go for a walk and a run.

Exercise recordings, exercise programs on television, and online exercise programs are another approach to keeping up with working out in the winter. You can choose guides that provide a workout with no equipment or switch it up with a variety of exercise gear like Theraband®, a Swiss ball, dumbbells, a stationary bicycle, etc.