Warm up to Working Out: 5 Easy Ways
Winter is the best time to stick to a workout routine, with all the casseroles, cookies and cakes we’re eating. Also, endorphins that are released during a good cardio session will blast away the stress we are all feeling from the season’s social commitments. Yet the frigid temperatures outside make it that much harder to get to the gym.
Tom Arnold, assistant manager at the TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion, offers the following tips for getting moving and staying motivated:
1. Set a Goal
By making a fitness goal and writing it down or signing up for a race, you’ll be making yourself accountable. For instance, many people sign up for one of the Flying Pig Marathon events, which take place April 29 to May 1, requiring training through the winter. Several distance options are available, including a full marathon, a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K, relay events and a kids’ race. Details are available at flyingpigmarathon.com.
2. Get an Assessment
Many gyms, including the TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion, offer a free fitness assessment for you to learn how your current workout plan could be modified to help you achieve your goals or how to get a jumpstart on starting an active lifestyle.
3. Try Wearable Tech
Add to your holiday wish list a FitBit or another device that tracks your movement and calorie burn. These devices can be helpful in revealing how active or inactive you are on a regular basis, which may be the motivation you need, Arnold says.
4. Visit the Gym
Sure, you can always lift weights or do sit-ups in the comfort of your home, but the variety of equipment and classes at a gym can make it easier to find the workout that’s fun for you and maybe feels just a bit less like work. Also, the social interaction at the gym can be useful when you’re having trouble focusing, as can the camaraderie of classes.
5. Stick to a Schedule
Studies have shown that it’s not necessarily better to work out in the morning than in the evening, Arnold explains. But it is beneficial to get your heart pumping at the same time each day. Doing so makes exercise become just another part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth and walking the dog.