The Dietitian's Way

I am a Registered Dietitian with a professional education in nutrition, health and wellness.  I, however am also a mother, a daughter, a wife and a business owner.  I’m a real person just trying to live a healthy wholesome life, just like you!  My business and my blog are all about that.  Making healthy living apart of your lifestyle, making it easy, affordable and do-able.   The Dietitians Way is part education, part guidance, part real-life trial and error.  I hope you continue to join me on this journey, find my knowledge helpful and smile from time to time.  

The Winter Exercise Blues

 

 

During the warm summer months it’s so easy to be active.  The days are long, the mornings and evenings are warm.  The weather is begging you to be outside!  On top of the weather, there is extra motivation to look great in the summer.  We wear bathing suits and little clothes; we go on vacations and get together with friends and family.  We enjoy cooking healthy light entrees on the grill and eating crisp clean salads. 

Then fall comes and while some days are quite enjoyable the crisp cool air has set in and you know that winter is right around the corner.  As the days become shorter and shorter it can be quite hard to pull yourself out of your cozy warm bed in the morning.  After a long day and the sun setting early, it’s hard to get your workout in when your warm home, soft blanket and comfy couch awaits you.  The cold months beg for comfort; creamy hot food and big warm clothes.  This all being said, it’s so easy to get the “Winter Exercise Blues.”

We are well into Fall, it has arrived!  The cold air set in and daylight savings time is soon ending.  The outdoor activities and exercise start to decrease.  So now what?  What do you do for the months of November and December before the big New Year push?  These months are so important to keep the momentum going because this is also the time of celebration!  And with these celebratory holidays come treats, traditions, parties, and yummy food – lots of it! 

For most of us our exercise moves inside.  So here are some ideas to keep your exercise routine active and stable throughout the cold months ahead. 

Outside the Home:

  1. Join a gym – shop around for a good deal BUT make sure that it WILL WORK FOR YOU.  Look for: convenient location, good layout, nice equipment, fun classes, childcare if needed
  2. Try out a new exercise class – TRX, kettlebells, group training, kickboxing, zumba, strength training, cardio circuit, hot yoga, barre, HIIT, bootcamp. dance, interval and bodyweight training
    • Like Biking in the summer months?  Try a spin class.  A fun atmosphere and a great workout!
  3. Check out some of the smaller more specialized fitness facilities such as yoga, pilates, bootcamps, personal training, and athlete performance studios
    • Some of these places require a membership HOWEVER there are some that open up to the public once a week for instance, Saturday morning.  They may also offer a 1, 3, or 6 month membership OR pay per session option.
  4. Take up Racketball, Boxing, or Rock Climbing - all indoor, fun great workout.  Variety is so important!
  5. Join an indoor sport team/league – volleyball, bowling, soccer, basketball etc
  6. Swimming - check out indoor pool options in your community that may offer open lap swimming.  This low impact exercise is an awesome workout and it reminds you of warmer days!

Inside the Home:

  1. Invest in a few key pieces of exercise equipment for your house examples include:
    • Light set of weights, exercise ball, pull-up bar, resistance bands
      • OR just look around, there are lots of possibilities to exercise throughout your house, no equipment necessary, right under your nose
  2. Get a subscription to a fitness and/or health magazine.  Each month they have lots of new ideas to add variety to your normal indoor routine.  Most use minimal to no equipment.
  3. Cleaning – believe it or not, cleaning can burn quite a few calories, kill two birds with one stone!
  4. Dance – “like no one is watching” – Kids love a good dance party!  Make it a family event and burn a few calories while you are at it!
  5. Check out Videos - YouTube, OnDemand, DVDs – using  some of these videos will help to make sure your form is correct and effective

Stay Outside:

  1. Invest in cold weather exercise clothes and continue your workout outside
    • Try a 10-15 minute warm-up INSIDE, this will help you adjust to the cold temps when you start your workout OUTSIDE
  2. Ice skating, sledding, snowboarding/down hill skiing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing  – enjoy the winter activities on the weekend
    • Equipment for these activities make a great Christmas present for your spouse/partner/kids, a new activity to do together and your staying active!

What are the implications of “Winter Exercise Blues?”  Well lets say you exercise about 4 times per week during the warm summer months averaging 300-500 calorie burn per session.  Now lets say you decrease that to once a week during chilly November and December.  Approximately 7,200-12,000 burned calories are MISSED due to the decrease in exercise.  This equates to 2-4 lbs of weight gain if there is NO CHANGE to our dietary habits (a decrease).  Most of us do have a change in our consumption during these months, AN INCREASE which could result in even MORE weight!  By the time January rolls around the first 2 months of exercise is working off the results of “The Winter Exercise Blues.”  Is it worth it? 

Is exercise truly part of your lifestyle?  Is it continuous?  Do you incorporate it daily, weekly, monthly throughout the ENTIRE YEAR?  What are your plans to make exercise apart of your everyday lifestyle?

 
Welcome to my Blog; THE DIETITIANS WAY.  Yes, I am a Registered Dietitian with a professional education in nutrition, health and wellness.  I however am also a mother, a daughter, a wife and a business owner.  I’m a real person just trying to live a healthy wholesome life, just like you!  My business and my blog are all about that.  Making healthy living apart of your lifestyle, making it easy, affordable and do-able.   The Dietitians Way is part education, part guidance, part real-life trial and error.  I hope you continue to join me on this journey, find my knowledge helpful and smile from time to time.  Thank you for your support!
 
Sincerely,
Christine Spettel, RD, CD
Lifestyle Nutrition