Baby, It's Cold Outside...

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 It is no secret that Ohio is no stranger to low temperatures in the wintertime! As unfortunate as this can be, do not let inclement weather stop you from reaching your exercise and nutrition goals. It can be hard to find motivation to cook nutrition and delicious meals every evening & find time to exercise --> especially when the sun sets at 5pm :(. Here are some tips and tricks to stay fit during the cold winter months! 

    1. Meal Prep: Taking time to plan out weekday evening meals on the weekend helps set you and your family up for success! Create a calendar to map out what everyone would like to have during the week, and prepare as much of the meal as you can on Sunday. This decreases the amount of time spent cooking during the week and creates more opportunities to do other fun activities in the evening. *B O N U S  P O I N T S* if you can plan a meal ahead of time that only requires a quick pop in the microwave to be eaten. 

 

2. Pack Your Bag the Night Before:  Want to walk out the door NOT in a rush??? Plan ahead! Laying your clothes out the night before decreases the amount of time or stress spent trying to decide what to wear for the workday. Additionally, preparing your lunch the night before ensures that you have put careful considerations into the nutrient density of the meal. If you are trying to pack your lunch in a rush the morning of, it can be tempting to grab packaged items which can inhibit your nutrition goals. Both options offer a simpler and stress-free morning, and maybe even an extra 5-10 minutes still cuddled up in bed :) 

 

3. Set Movement Goals: It can be really easy during the wintertime to let the cold weather dictate your exercise routine. However, taking months off at a time simply because of freezing temperatures does not allow room for growth in performance. If you have access to a watch or pedometer, track your steps to ensure you are adequately moving throughout the day! A good benchmark to follow is 10,000 steps, but this can vary depending on the physicality of one's day job. Something to keep in mind: movement is different from structured exercise! If you are unable to make it to a gym or a workout class, going for a leisure walk outside (bundled up, of course!), grocery shopping, cleaning the house, taking the kids to sports practice, or dancing in the kitchen all contribute to your 10,000 step goal. Give yourself grace this winter :)

Comments

  1. Gabbi GrayDecember 13, 2022 at 12:34 PM

    I love this topic and relate to it so much!!! You did a great job providing simple tips on how to fight back against the winter "blahs" and keep moving forward. I decided to unpause my gym membership during the winter to give me that extra push I need to keep exercising.

    ReplyDelete

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