Skip to main content

Take It Outside

If you are one of the thousands of people affected by the latest winter storm, you're probably snowed in for a few days. Schools, gyms, and stores are closed. So rather than sit inside watching all the incredibly fit Olympians play in the snow, take yourself outside and play in your own snow! 

My very favorite kind of exercise is the kind that doesn't feel like exercise at all. It's just play, really! But trust me, it will get your heart rate up and you will feel it tomorrow! 

Sledding
Sledding is great exercise fun. Surprisingly, its not the thrill ride down the hill that gets your heart pounding as much as the hike back up the hill carrying the sled. Add in the extra 5 to 10 pounds of clothes your wearing to stay warm and dry and its really a weight bearing cardio workout! Plus, trying new sled positions challenges muscles you didn't know you had.




Snow Building
Snow building is great fun and also muscle building. Snow is heavy so whatever you're building in the snow, be mindful of your posture to ensure your safety. Keep soft knees as you lean down to roll the snow, and always bend your knees and keep your back straight when you lift heavy snow. 




Step it Up
I love snow in the south. Here in North Carolina, it snowed for almost 24 hrs straight and then it was up to 40 degrees the next day. Of course if it were 12 degrees we wouldn't be enjoying the great outdoors this long, but today it was perfect for hours of fun in the snow. When playing for fitness, endurance is the key. Keep moving to stay warm and also to get your heart rate up. Continuous motion gets your heart rate up, helping rev up your metabolism, burn fat, and build muscle. Having fun playing outdoors makes it not feel so much like a WORKout (until the next day). 





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Take a Hike

It's March and we are finally seeing a few hints of spring. Flowers popping up through the earth dressed in their beautiful bright colors. Tree limbs which have been brown and barren and putting on tiny buds of green. The sounds of birds singing fills the warming air. It just makes me want to stay outside. One of my favorite hobbies is hiking (especially now that we live near mountains). I've always liked walking. It's good exercise to get your body in shape and get your heart rate up but it's also so good for your mind. I love just being outside walking, looking around at nature, clearing my head of any stress, or just thinking through something. Walking for exercise is good for every BODY. Everyone can benefit from 30 minutes of walking each day. Exercise doesn't have to be hard to be effective. Walking at an incline can be as effective at burning calories as running, and a lot less pounding on the joints and back. You don't need any equipment other th

Daily Routine Calorie Burning

It's finally spring around here and we've been spending a lot of time outside. However, since almost every post has been about exercising outside I thought I'd share with you about how you can count calories burned even on busy days when you don't have time for a "real workout". Check out this article I found about Calories burned doing household chores  at FitDay.com. Even when you don't have time to spend 30 mintues on a treadmill, look how many calories you burned doing 30 minutes of these household activities.... In just 30 minutes... Digging in your yard  - apx 315 calories Weeding flower beds - 115 calories Raking leaves - 225 calories Carrying shopping bags (the heavy grocery kind) - 190 calories Making beds - 130 calories Ironing - 70 calories Climbing stairs - 285 calories Painting/Decorating - 160 calories

Be Good to Your Sweet Heart

Maybe your New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside already with Superbowl party food and cold weather comforts. Everywhere you look in the stores there's pink and red hearts calling to you with the sweet smell of chocolate! Stop for a moment and think about what your heart really needs.  Exercise!  Here are just a few reminders why you need to be good to your heart: 1. Your heart is the most important muscle in your body! 2. Just 150 minutes (or 30 mins 5 days a week) can reduce your risk of heart disease. 3. Exercise boosts your immunity (it is still flu season after all!) 4. Exercise is a quick way to warm up in the cold weather. 5. Calories out, Calories In! People loose weight by creating a calorie deficit or burning more calories than you consume. Some people exercise so they can eat what they want and maintain their weight. Just saying, if you love to eat balance it out with exercise! Find what motivates you. Maybe you want to reduce your risk of hea