Spruce up your fitness routine for the cold weather.
As the temps start to change, your fitness routine can, too. When it comes to your walking or running outside, you may soon be moving much of your workout to the treadmill, floor exercises, and machines at the gym. But even if you go to the gym throughout the year, it’s always fun to switch up your workout with fresh new ideas. Many health benefits can be derived by having fun with other indoor fitness activities that are effective to take your workout out of the gym. Change is great for your mood and increased social opportunities. So read on for some inspiration and ideas!
Switching things up when it comes to your workout regimen is really healthy. According to Men’s Health, you may not achieve as much success when you continue with the same old thing, even if it’s a solid plan. Doing the exact regimen on the exact days can be pretty tiring for your body and mind. It’s an easy way for individuals to stop their workout routine altogether out of boredom! According to David Jack, Men’s Health training advisor, excess stress and too many “repetitive patterns” can limit your results.
A new season presents exciting fresh options for you. Take a look at some of the below indoor fitness activities you can work into your weekly rotation. You don’t have to change everything you’re doing; just add a bit of pizazz to your day and keep things different.
Ice hockey is a solid aerobic and anaerobic workout.
Recreational ice hockey is not only a super cool sport (literally), but it’s also really healthy! Research from a study in Canada reveals the link between men who play ice hockey a minimum of once per week and better health—greater than males who are physically active. Hockey players are typically a bigger build in general and are found to have a much lower risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. When you see what a workout you can get from playing, you’ll understand why.
According to a review in the journal Sports Medicine, ice hockey involves intermittent skating at a high intensity. Performing the very quick movements involved in the sport—both in length and speed—makes for a solid aerobic and anaerobic workout. Heading to the rink with friends is a great way to get in some great cardio while building power, muscle strength, and endurance. And most important? It’s plain old fun!
Keep in shape by dancing; you’ll boost your endurance, strength, and muscle tone.
Not only is dancing an amazing way for everyone to keep in shape, but it’s also so much fun. By showing off those moves on the dance floor, you can burn calories while building some pretty impressive endurance, strength, and muscle tone, Better Health Channel reports. You can also learn new dances that will last a lifetime.
Whether you simply put on some tunes at home, go to a club and show off some moves on a dance floor, sign up for a dance cardio class, or take some private lessons with your partner or friends, you’ll be so glad that you did. So put on your dancing shoes, and get to it!
Indoor tennis will give you a stellar workout and reduce stress.
Playing tennis is an extraordinarily healthy way to exercise and socialize, killing two birds with one stone. Whether you partner with a friend, significant other, or family member, you’re sure to get in a vigorous workout.
Not only will you tone your muscles and build strength and flexibility, but you’ll also reduce stress, burn body fat, enhance your bone density, kick up your metabolic performance, and decrease your blood pressure and resting heart rate. So grab a racket, and head to the indoor tennis court!
Play some golf; you can lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Golf is loved by so many people. In fact, according to the Golf and Health Project, about 55 million people are enthusiasts and play 32,000 courses in more than 200 countries. Diehard golfers really don’t even care about the weather, so this suggestion doesn’t necessarily need to be indoors. Not only do golfers have fun doing something they love, but they’re also getting in some pretty awesome exercise.
Just being active can help to prevent fractures, and even promote longevity—more so than individuals who are not physically active. More than 300,000 golf players of all ages, social standing, and gender were observed in a study that revealed golfers live five years more than non-golfers. This beloved activity has also been found to prevent many health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. Research reveals that playing 18 holes of golf consists of around 12,000 steps, too.
The awesome thing about golf is you can check out an indoor golf simulator and swing your club during inclement weather. Moral of the story? If you’re not a golfer, you may want to become one ASAP!
