Shape up this winter

It’s called winter blues. It’s just the time when it’s ideal to laze around and cuddle up in bed. One can’t be blamed for either that sense of lethargy or not feeling motivated to wake up early. Nevertheless, one can always make up for it by inculcating a healthy routine. You can be still be energized by exercising indoors and be trim, even if you wake up late in the morning.  

All that’s required is to choose a convenient time to exercise and stick to it. “Coffee breaks, lunch time, evening, or pre-dinner time can be used for exercising or walking for short periods. Other activities like stair-climbing instead of using the elevator or pacing while talking on the phone can help in burning a few extra calories,” said Sheela Krishnaswamy, Bangalore-based Independent Diet, Nutrition & Wellness Consultant.

A healthy diet low in fats, sugars, refined foods and sodium is recommended for all. Besides, there’s no excuse for not exercising. “Exercise is not only about weight maintenance but also relates to better heart health, better bone health, better blood circulation, better mood, better control of blood sugar and blood pressure,” explained Krishnaswamy. Exercise, yoga or any other form of physical activity should be part of your daily routine. It’s a vital part of healthy living.

Winter is ideal to open your home to various exercising equipment; it could be a treadmill or an exercise machine. Engage a personal trainer and make sure you get into an exercise routine at home.

It’s beneficial to invest in a set of dumbbells, resistance bands and a jump rope. Both dumbbells and resistance bands help in resistance training, while the jump rope is for the cardio fitness routine. You can try out simple exercises like squats and mid and lower abdomen crunches. Cycling indoors is also a nice way of shedding flab.

In case all this isn’t possible, team up with a few friends and follow an exercise video. You can sweat it out even in your living room.

Whether its summer or winter, it’s important to remain well hydrated. One can become dehydrated after exercising during winter months. Along with hydration, one should follow a healthy diet. There’s nothing better than an appetizing soup, which is not only nutritive but is also recommended for those cold winter evenings. Rather than piling up kilos with corn flour and starch, try lentil soup or stew. Every season, the crop of fruit and vegetables help build the immune system, besides offering other benefits. So make the best use of these seasonal varieties as they help flush out toxins and keep the skin supple. Have generous helpings of berries, walnuts and  brown rice. Spice up your evenings, literally. Sip on some cinnamon and clove tea, which helps improve digestion.

Breathe deeply. Not only does deep breathing improves your skin tone, it helps keep the stress levels in check. Mix it up with some yogasanas to really reap the benefits.

This is the time to really get your sleep rhythms in place. When the body doesn’t have sufficient sleep, it leads to irritability and even weight gain and seriously speaking there is no better time to snuggle up in your blanket!

Just because it’s winter, it’s no reason to switch into hibernation mode. There is a vast array of exercise regimes and dietary amendments that one can adhere to this winter.  Follow some of them and by the time New Year’s Eve comes knocking, you won’t need a new resolution.