Baby It’s Cold Outside – How To Keep Fit Over Winter

The biggest blunder that people make is losing focus and motivation. It is best to set goals for yourself and make sure they are achievable by putting steps into place. Long term might be a great summer bod for that beach holiday you are planning, but short term might be to set aside a regular time for an exercise session, and stick to it. Choose one 30-minute daily session or three 10-minute sessions, or alternate between the two approaches. The main thing to remember here is that this part of your daily schedule is set in stone. You might even come up with some “penalties” (like a $1 fine for each missed activity) but I prefer the ‘treat yourself’ approach better! Have a ‘gold star’ system and after say 5 works outs you can treat yourself with a new pair of workout pants or a nice hot bubble bath to relax those tired muscles!

As the weather cools down it is easy to forget that we still need to be drinking enough water to stay hydrated. We don’t often associate cold-weather exercise with dehydration. The body doesn’t get as hot, and sweat evaporates more rapidly in the cold air. Thus, we’re tricked into thinking we aren’t losing fluids as rapidly. It can also become second nature to grab a coffee (or 2!) during the day to stay warm rather than having a drink of water. If you aren’t drinking enough H2O there is likelihood your body will hold on to excess fluid to stop it from dehydrating. Simply swap the coffee for a herbal tea, or if you are going to have a coffee make sure you have a glass of water soon after.

Exercising in a group will work wonders on your motivation levels and stop you falling off the wagon if the winter blues become a bit too much! It is difficult trying to find the motivation to exercise in the mornings by yourself when it seems like a better idea to stay put under the covers, or to go straight home from work and perch yourself in front of the telly all rugged up! However, when you are in a social environment and have a class or sport that only runs for about 45mins it is much easier to pencil it into your schedule and make it part of your weekly routine. Group or team exercise can be fun and social, so quite often you will forget that you are even working out!

Looking Good and Feeling Good – Don’t Skip The Nutrition!

Ever wondered how celebrities had such super glowing dewy skin? Not only do they have the best beauty therapists going around most consume a diet with lots of good fats to keep their skin young, plump and fresh. Good Fats (found in olive oil, salmon, nuts and avocado to name just a few) are an essential part to the weight loss puzzle as well as the benefits of helping to maintain healthy hair, skin and nails. Goodbye 80’s low-fat diet crazes and hello sensible balanced eating!

Typically referred to as the ‘sunlight vitamin’, many people believe that sunlight exposure is the only way to get sufficient vitamin D. While sunlight exposure has been proven to be an effective way of achieving increased vitamin D in the body, this can sometimes be a tricky balance to achieve, especially during winter time when there are less daylight hours and you are often rugged up when you are outside. When it is not ideal to spend about 15-20 mins in the sun around 10-11 am in a t-shirt and shorts you might need to supplement over the winter period. A great way to do this is by taking a high quality Cod Liver Oil. Many recent studies have shown that Cod Liver Oil has a multitude of health benefits associated with its rich omega-3 fatty acid profile, naturally occurring levels of vitamin A levels and also its high levels of vitamin D. The vitamin A and vitamin D supplied together provide further unique benefits to overall immune balance, such as wound healing and increased resistance to allergies and infections. So you can tick off both getting the good fats in your diet as well as getting some vitamin D!