Beating Winter Blues with the May Fitness Challenge
The goal of the Beating Winter Blues May fitness challenge is to make time to move every.single.day. In March I did 15 minutes a day and in April, my mini trampoline broke (my all time favorite workout) and I stopped altogether. Not sure what I was thinking. There was plenty more I could do…. (Kev has rigged the trampoline so I’ll start using it again and pray I don’t break a leg ha).
We have to remember to just keep it simple and make time to move every day and it WILL make a difference. Whether it’s a quick walk up and down your stairs or an hour long walk, you choose.
Starting Wednesday will you join in and make time to move every day?
There are so many things we can do. We can walk indoors, outdoors, up/down stairs, go for a bike ride, ride a spin or recumbent bike, rowing, swimming and much more. If you aren’t able to walk, move your upper body. If you’re wheelchair bound, do the best you can to move any part of the body you can, even if it’s just to exercise your mind. You’ve got this.
Some of the things I will do:
- Walk outside
- Walk inside on treadmill
- Walk inside to my Walk Away the Pounds workout videos
- Hop on the spin bike
- Get on the recumbent bike
- Rebounding/mini trampoline
Need Accountability?
We have a monthly fitness challenge Facebook group we hope you’ll join. Just sign up below so you don’t miss any announcements, challenge updates, freebies, etc. We’ll send you info on how to get in the group too!
What’s Next?
You’ll get a confirmation email where you’ll need to click on a link to confirm. Don’t miss that step. Next you’ll be directed to a welcome page that says You’re In! with a link to join the monthly challenge Facebook group. That is where all the fun will happen.
Winter is almost over ….yes it’s April and I said winter. We got about 4 inches of snow this weekend in Chicagoland. It’s almost May, and so crazy we are still talking about winter! But we are going to make time to move and exercise our way out of the winter blues.
If it’s your goal to get outside more to get your heart pumping, the fresh air and sunshine will do your body good. Exercising indoors can help too. I actually prefer to workout in our home gym.
When you increase your heart rate and get your blood flowing you’ll see a shift in your mood as well. Many doctors recommend regular exercise and you can see why. Endorphins, known as the feel-good hormones, are released and this results in a better mood. Yay!
Beating Winter Blues Exercise Tips
Take a daily walk – Depending on the weather we should just get back to good old-fashioned fresh air and sunshine. The sunshine helps produce vitamin D when you’re exposed to the sun and helps improve our moods. It also helps your body manage stress. Walking is a good way to start if you aren’t into much fitness yet. Aim to walk for at least 15 minutes a day.
Stretch – Yoga and other similar programs lengthen your muscles and keep them flexible. Stretching and yoga helps you become mindful and focused in addition to helping you warm up your body before exercise. I definitely need to focus more on stretching.
Dance and play – We adults often forget how to have fun. Find an activity that you love. Something that makes you laugh or brings joy. This world could use a lot more joy in it that is for sure. Consider activities like dance, jumping rope, riding a bicycle or even rollerblading. Get outside with your kids too.
Run or jog – Running is a fantastic calorie burner and it’s great for improving your fitness if you can do it. Remember, it doesn’t have to be about performance, speed and distance. You can just embrace the sport with a light jog. The health benefits are the same. Now, if you’re new to running, mix it up with a run/walk where you swap back and forth. The goal is to help boost your mental and physical health not hurt yourself.
Swim – Join a swim club or find a gym with a pool. If swimming laps isn’t your thing, you might join a water aerobics class. If neither of those sound fun, just walk laps in the pool. Any movement in water is good for your body.
In addition to the mental and physical benefits of exercise, it also helps you sleep better. Studies have linked poor sleep to depression & anxiety. Simply moving your body and getting better sleep can help you beat the winter blues. Get outside. Work out indoors. Whatever you do, just have fun!
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