Guest Author: Jason Lewis is passionate about helping seniors stay healthy and injury-free. He created StrongWell to share his tips on senior fitness.
If you’re stuck inside for the winter, chances are your regular workout routine is taking a backseat to more common indoor activities like movies and popcorn. But don’t let your fitness decline with the weather. There are plenty of indoor activities to help you burn calories from the comfort of home. Try out some of these great workouts to get yourself out of that winter rut.
1. Swimming
Swimming is one of the best all-around workouts you can get. It gives you the resistance you need to strengthen your muscles, gets your heart rate up, and takes the impact off your joints. Make a splash in one of the water aerobics classes or swim laps at you local gym or YMCA.
2. Yoga
The American Osteopathic Association recommends yoga for a multitude of reasons. Not only is it great for relaxation and flexibility, it also helps increase muscle tone, improves energy and helps balance metabolism. And if you’re not keen on attending classes in the community, there are lots of yoga apps you can download and work out at home whenever you feel like it.
3. Cleaning
No one says you have to wait until spring for deep cleaning. What better time to clean out those closets than when you’re stuck inside anyway? According to Livestrong, regular housework can burn up to 300 calories an hour (more for heavier people or heavier work). So break out that vacuum and kill some dust bunnies!
4. Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is one of the simplest, yet most effective full-body workouts you can do. Athletes such as football players and boxers use it for hand-eye coordination and balance. It is also a surprisingly good workout for your whole body workout that engages every muscle from head to toe, including your core.
5. Stair Climbing
If you have stairs, use them! Studies show that even mini sessions of stair climbing can increase your cardiovascular and muscular health and improve your respiratory system. If you don’t have stairs, you can still reap the rewards by using a step, stool or other platform-like object. Try stepping while watching TV a few times a week. You’ll see results in no time.
6. Resistance Training
Believe it or not, you can get a full strength-training workout in your living room. All you need is the weight of your own body and for some exercises, a chair or wall. For example, lunges, squats and burpees are all great resistance exercises that work all the large muscle groups in your body.
7. Spinning
Spinning is one of those exercises that can be as low or as high-impact as you want. Most fitness facilities offer spin classes if you like guided workouts. Or, you can just hop on a stationary bike and pedal at your own pace. You’ll get a great workout for your lower half without putting strain on your knees.
8. Planking
The great thing about planking is that it requires no equipment and takes up no more space than you are currently using. You can do it while you’re watching TV without annoying your family. You can do it beside your bed before you go to sleep. You can even do it in your office while you’re checking your email if you’d like. And not only does it help strengthen the core, planking helps improve posture, relieve back pain and tighten the buttocks and hamstrings.
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You don’t have to ditch your workout just because the weather’s turned colder. There are plenty of indoor workouts you can do to replace any outdoor activities in your normal routine. In fact, you may even find a few you love and want to keep year-round. Staying fit is all about developing good habits no matter what the weather.
