Heading outside into the cold, dark and wet mornings or evenings can be a real de-motivator when it comes to keeping up your exercise regime. We’ve come up with some indoor activities to get you through the cold months:
Punch and kick your way to summer
Take up a form of martial arts and find a local club to attend. They may hold a series of beginner lessons or adult classes you can join in on. Kickboxing, karate, tae kwan do, jiu jitsu, or you could even do boxing. If you want to do a more toned down version, check out your local gym for fitness-style martial arts classes you can attend.
Get grooving
Even if you feel like you have two left feet, practice can do wonders for coordination! Find an indoor dance class to attend at a nearby dance studio – hip hop, Latin American, contemporary, tap dance, swing, ballroom – there are so many types, why not give them all a go and see which one you like best? Some gyms will have these as well, but with dance moves aimed to get your heart racing and your blood pumping.
Kick your inner couch potato to the kerb
This could be the time to dust off those exercise DVDs sitting in the cupboard! Rather than sitting down to watch your favourite TV show, pop in an exercise DVD and turn your lounge into your own home gym. There are some great bodyweight, cardio, dance, yoga and pilates DVDs out there. Just make sure you move the coffee table out of the way first!
Get flexible and strong
Find a local yoga or pilates studio and start attending classes. You will improve your flexibility and core strength while doing low impact exercise – a good instructor should give you a range of options if you have any injuries.
Start an indoor sports team
Don’t wait for someone else to ask you – be proactive and start a social indoor sports team. Round up your friends, colleagues, family and workmates and find an indoor sport to play together. Being part of a team will make it more difficult for you to skip as you don’t want to be that person letting the team down…
Don’t wait for Spring – clean up now!
Give your home a floor to ceiling clean including – but not limited to – vaccuuming, dusting, mopping, sweeping, cobweb clearing and ceiling scrubbing (and don’t forget full bathroom scrub up) – by the time you’re done you’ll have a spotless house AND be knackered!
Image / Flickr – IammRicky