1. Go for a walk even when the weather is really cold – your body has to work overtime to get warm and you may burn up to 50% more calories than you would on the same walk in summer! But remember, go a little slower until you get warm and keep up the hydration.
2. If you find it hard to get motivated to exercise in winter…just think of spring and how much harder it is to get back into shape rather than maintain your fitness throughout the winter.
3. Be aware of tendonitis and stress fracture if you don’t exercise in winter and expect to pick up where you left off after a whole winter with no exercise.
4. Instead of picking up a cup of hot chocolate to keep yourself warm, try an herbal beverage.
5. Develop an interest in indoor sports as opposed to cycling and jogging outdoors. Don’t forget that swimming at an indoor pool is an option for a great cardio workout!
6. Cold air and indoor heaters can dry out your skin. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water each day and use moisturizers throughout winter.
7. Buy some indoor plants to soften up the dry atmosphere caused through heating. Indoor plants give off moisture and oxygen and the colors will brighten up a dull day outside.
8. Wear the right clothes when exercising in winter. Polypropylene is the perfect fabric to wear underneath a tracksuit, which will provide great insulation but minimize moisture loss. Gore-Tex is a fabric used widely for providing protection from the rain and wind.
9. Caught a cold or flu? If the infection is above the neck (nose, throat) you could be OK to complete a low intensity workout. However, if you have symptoms that are worse than an average cold (chest congestion, muscle aches), exercise will only make you worse and delay your recovery. Rest is the best approach.
10. Keep your immune system in peak condition with regular wellness visits to your chiropractor. Not getting sick in the first place so you can continue your normal exercise through the winter is much better than having to battle back from an extended absence.
Yes, #10 may very well be the most important. Skeptical that chiropractic affects your immune system and general health? Many patients comment on it in the office, and are faithful to KEEP WELL. Take the following patient success story: I first came to see Dr. Sooley a little over 3 years ago, at the urging of a friend who is also a patient. I am so glad I did! It is amazing the difference between how I felt then and now. My lower back and neck made it impossible to do much of anything without significant pain. My regular adjustments keep my entire body in balance and functioning the way it’s supposed to. The relief in other areas such as allergies, heartburn, etc. were an added bonus to the relief I’ve experienced with my lower back and neck. I would recommend chiropractic care to anyone who thinks that growing old and being in pain go hand-in-hand. They most certainly do not! The staff at Sooley Chiropractic are wonderful and ‘Thank You’ to Dr. Sooley for helping me to understand that spinal well-being is a big key to a happy, healthy life. By the way, I have not needed to see a regular medical doctor in 3 years. Just a coincidence? I don’t think so! — Mark Bryant 2011 (signature on file)