Keep fit this winter
There is a tendency among many of us to ditch the exercise regime come winter, especially if we have been exercising out of doors. The excuses are easy to find – it’s dark, it’s cold, it’s wet etc. We can also find excuses not to exercise indoors although these are never quite as good.
However whether you exercise outside or in, you should keep it up in the winter months for a myriad reasons. Exercise boosts your immune system, raises your serotonin levels, keeps your weight at bay and will stave off the winter blues. Winter nourishment is required to ensure your bloom in spring, so don’t hibernate this winter, enjoy the winter season of crisp, cold days for outdoor exercise and if the weather really is too bad, head to the gym, do an exercise dvd or even walk around the shopping centre, but no dawdling or window shopping!!
If you need motivation, you could turn to the military for help:
Winterproof workouts
British Military Fitness (BMF), the UK’s largest military style fitness provider, encourages the public to get outside and get fit during the dreary winter months!
Simon Richman, Fitness and Operations Manager at BMF gives his top five reasons for staying fit and healthy in the fresh air over the winter months:
- Studies show that a slightly lower body temperature on a cold day prolongs the time in which your muscles reach fatigue, which occurs as your temperature rises. Therefore, dress as though its twenty degrees hotter than it actually is for an even more productive workout in the great outdoors. In addition, you’ll burn more calories by exercising outside because your body needs to use extra energy to maintain its core temperature. All BMF sessions take place in local parks throughout the UK come rain or shine.
- It is widely known that exercise releases levels of serotonin, the happy hormone and this can boost people’s moods and improve sleep throughout the winter gloom. Negative ions in the outside air are believed to also energise and uplift us, assisting with mental focus. Many of BMF’s members comment on how great they feel after exercising outside.
- With the credit crunch having made itself at home this winter, rather than curling up next to the radiator, why not raise your own body temperature outside with no heating costs, while keeping fit at the same time! Physical activity in the great outdoors has many benefits such as burning up to 30 percent more calories than doing the same workout indoors. The views of natural vegetation can also increase concentration and reduce health complaints.
- Be safe in the winter months and exercise with others. BMF members receive constant motivation from the instructors and enjoy the classes because of the sense of achievement they experience. Working out with other people in the great outdoors is more fun than working out on your own in an airless sweaty gym.
- Making your fitness training a habit is the key to success. You must allocate a dedicated time slot for your training and stick to it. Fitness doesn’t happen overnight, you need to keep trying to better your previous performances. If you have already made training a habit then it will be easier to stick to once the winter months are upon us.
BMF sessions last 60 minutes and include a variety of exercises including circuit activities, running and team challenges, which are very different to any gym set up. The ex-army instructors make a point of making the classes motivating, ensuring that the members stay focused throughout their workout in the great outdoors.
There are BMF sessions across Scotland. For details on where you can get fit outdoors this winter, visit www.britmilfit.com
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