Winter Fitness Guide

Winter for most means spending a good deal of time indoors and out of the elements. The cold weather and shorter days keep us away from many of the activities we love doing most. For these reasons the winter season impacts overall fitness levels of those who are subjected to these conditions.

For me, growing up in New York City, winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and ice skating were not real options as far as staying active during the winter. Trying to pick up these activities as an adult can be difficult. So transforming into Alberto Tomba for some of us may not be the best option to keep up our current fitness level.

But this shouldn't be a reason we start looking more like Frosty the Snowman. Living in the Hudson Valley region of New York, we experience our fair share of cold and inclement weather but not enough that we have to regulate ourselves indoors in fear of frostbite.

Here are some suggestions to help you find activities we can do during winter to keep fit.

1. Walking. Yes I know walking can be done anytime of the year but even then how much walking do we get done on a regular basis. One survey suggested Americans walk less than 300 meters per day. So pull out that jacket inspired by some high Himalayan peak and fancy boots and put them to use.
2. Shoveling. Whenever you get a chance to grab a shovel and heave some snow. Don’t just regulate yourself to the fifteen feet from the front door to your car door either, hit some extra areas, shovel out your mailbox or a space for your garbage cans. Hey maybe you could even help a neighbor.
3. Hiking. This is sort of like walking 2.0. You may need to do this on a weekend or a day off but most trails are not closed off during the winter months and the amount of snow on the ground is normally not a major deterrent. You will probably cover a larger distance while hiking than you would walking around your neighborhood, along with the extra layers of clothes needed and the body's need to stay warm you’ll work harder throughout this activity and burn more calories.
4. Cross Country Skiing. No mastery needed to enjoy this one. I tried this a few times. I moved around just like I would have on downhill skis but there were no death defying drop offs to negotiate. After about an hour of this at 30 degrees I was down to just my t-shirt, gloves and snow pants. Its a great workout plus it’s about the only way you will catch me on skis. Where to go: Fahnestock Winter Park http://nysparks.com/parks/147/details.aspx and Bellayre Mountain http://www.belleayre.com/ both in the Hudson Valley offer this activity for much less than you would pay for a lift ticket and all that fancy ski equipment.
5. Sledding. This one is probably easier if you have young kids. Once you get them out there to that hill you already know they are going to want you to go down with them. Suddenly at the bottom of the hill children lose the ability to walk back up it and you will have to drag them. Drudging up a hill with a load in tow, I couldn't think of a better activity! Bonus: Your kids will love you even more for it ..Win/Win.

Add thes activities into your schedule when you can and along with those 30 burpees you knock out every morning you won’t feel like a bear coming out of hibernation come spring time.