It’s time to bask under the warm morning sun, put on well-knit sweaters, taste the smoky, aromatic tea and experience all the good things winter brings to us. But be aware because it is also the season of stiff joints, runny nose, and weight gain. Yes, medicines come handy but why go for it when you can keep yourself away from the illnesses with some good old winter exercises? Check out the common health problems the wintry days bring you and how you can prevent them with a proper workout.
Beat up Cold: Has blocked nose become a winter norm for you? Don’t worry! Just rev up that immunity with a good cardio workout. Cold and cough usually occur because of the cold virus that comes in with the drop in temperature. And, if your immunity is low, they are going to hunt you down. The high-intensity workout of cardio warms you up and shields you from the virus. So, mount the treadmill or the elliptical bike to keep them away for good.
A Sore Throat? Not Anymore: All was well until one winter morning you woke up to find yourself sounding like the Grinch himself. And the pain of gulping anything down, food or water, is a different torment altogether. But we have a common enemy here, and that is the stubborn cold virus that finds one way or the other to entrap us. Turn to yoga and shoo it away with the lion’s breath, the camel pose or the bridge pose.
Smoothen up the Joints: The drop in temperature in winters is not only responsible for making you lazy but also for stiffening your joints. Unhinge them with a dose of intense stretches, aerobics or strength training exercises. Sweat it out and ensure the smooth bone to bone glide.
Build Rock Solid Heart and Lungs: Run and play to keep pulmonary and cardiac diseases away! In order to keep the body warm in winters, the heart pumps more blood that leads to hypertension. The cold even affects the lungs with viral infections and diseases. Protect your lungs and heart with an intense game of soccer or badminton. Engage in activities that provide ample resistance to strengthen these vital organs of your body.
Lift Weight, Not Gain Them: The one thing that all of us realize with the incoming of summer is the how much weight we have gained during winters. It is because most of our life depended on hot delectables and most of our time was spent under covers. Well, to rock the summer bod, try to keep up with your workouts. Exercise, especially bodyweight workouts and weightlifting, is an active way to stay warm and keep the calories away.
Get Your Hormones Right: Winters can make you feel completed zapped off energy at times, and the winter blues are not the only ones to be blamed. Spending most of the time indoors leads to lack of exposure to sunlight that affects your hormones. A drop in the production of serotonin and melatonin (hormones that control your moods) can result in sluggishness and all the low feels. A moderate to high-intensity workout of Zumba, HIIT or RPM in the morning, therefore, benefit you with the production of these two hormones uplifting your mood and making you feel stronger.
So, here is a kickass goodbye to the ailments and all hail to the fun and frolic of winter.
Download the FITPASS app to know more about workouts that you can do in the winters. Choose from more than 1700 fitness centers near you and get active anytime, anywhere. Get to know the foods that you should and should not eat under the expert nutritionists’ guidance with FITFEAST, its in-app diet, and nutrition solution. You can even track your calories, maintain a meal log and set water alarms. Perfect your exercise with not a coach but FITCOACH, the in-app A.I. led fitness coaching program. Your fitness is what we value irrespective of any season.