Plan to Stay Fit for Winter
By Deborah Jeanne Post
Wintertime may seem the perfect time to hibernate from the cold and wait for spring before moving around much. But that’s not a great idea, according to Danelle Edwards, personal trainer, certified wellness practitioner and head of Rochester Regional Health Wellness Center.
“I always encourage everyone to set goals and make a plan or winter will come and go and your summer shorts won’t fit as well,” Edwards said. “Find something you love. Maybe group fitness is something you enjoy or a certain kind of yoga. Be OK with being uncomfortable to find what makes you comfortable for life. There are indoor golf places. Find an activity that gets you into community, which can keep you accountable. If you have four or five people asking for you it will help you go.”
For many people, forming a walking group, joining a formal class or participating in dance lessons can help bring more people into their daily life to boost accountability. There’s also the fear of falling behind and the feeling of missing out on the group activity.
Kimberly Whitcomb, certified personal trainer and one-on-one fitness professional in Fairport and Wolcott, warned about the tendency to become more sedentary once it’s wintertime.
“Because you’re inside, it’s easy to turn on the TV,” she said.
For many people, that can mean remaining stationary for hours as programs stream on endlessly. Instead, Whitcomb encourages people to walk laps inside, perform stand-to-sit exercises, dance or a seated march.
“If you have stairs and you’re capable of climbing stairs without pain, stairs are a great workout,” she added. “Just step up and down.”
On mild days, bundle up in layers, wear nonskid boots and take a walk.
“It increases the workload on your body and heart with colder temperatures,” Whitcomb said. “If you are fit enough, try proper shoveling. Use your legs more than your back. It’s great exercise. Space it out if you have a large sidewalk or driveway. Stay hydrated and have good nutrition in between.”
If you have more specific fitness goals, a personal trainer can provide a home exercise program to use between formal sessions. Whitcomb is able to meet with clients once or twice and then only periodically meet to tweak the plan as clients progress. She finds this helps ensure clients can safely perform the movements and that they will more likely meet their goals.
Sean Smith, owner of Baddass Bodies By Sean in Rochester, also recommends performing calisthenics for people who are at home more during the winter, such as squats during commercial breaks or standing and raising the knees.
To meet more specific goals, search for workouts online and find something that helps you.
“Look up a five-minute ab exercise,” Smith suggested as an example. “Workouts are custom. There’s no wrong or right way. If your workout is you in the kitchen curling a can of green beans, that’s your workout. You can’t be rigid or follow only what other people are doing. What’s realistic for you?”
She also encourages clients to use whatever resources they have at home — such as climbing the stairs or lifting the aforementioned can of green beans — as there’s really no need to buy fancy equipment.