Six Winter Workouts You Can Do at Home
Staying active in winter doesn’t have to mean getting out in the cold and dark to pound the pavement, and you don’t need expensive gym and club memberships to keep fit indoors.
There are lots of ways to work out without leaving your lounge room (or wherever you’ve got some free indoor space).
Set the kids up with something to occupy them for half an hour and take 30 minutes for your fitness goals and your health with these great ways to workout at home, no matter what the weather outside.
Get on the Treadmill
Whether you’re a walker or a runner, getting on the treadmill is the perfect winter warm-up. Treadmills enable you to keep up those daily jogs in the comfort and warmth of inside. While you won’t be able to use the excuse “I can’t run outside because of the weather”, you’ll be able to stay in shape just as easy as the summer months.
Treadmills are designed to give you a great cardio workout to benefit the entire body. It’s also an economical investment. Treadmills are great for variety while burning fat quickly. Squeeze in a quick walk or run before dinner or mix your workout up and create new, exciting challenges. Use the preloaded programs with various exercises levels, multiple incline and speed options, interval programs and more.
For a full body, quick fat blast workout, take advantage of our 15-minute interval training treadmill workout.
Set up a Strength Training Circuit
For fitness enthusiasts who crave something different, consider setting up your own strength training circuit at home. Choose eight to 12 strength exercises and perform them all in a row for three to five rounds.
Circuits are easy to set up at home and can be done with as little as a few dumbbells and a stability ball. If you’re after a winter workout that burns calories and boosts muscle mass, strength training is a winner. These exercises are also great for building stamina and flexibility.
As strength circuit training is an entire body workout, you’ll save time by only needing to commit to three times a week for results. Make sure you include an upper-body exercise (standing dumbbell curls) in the circuit, along with a lower-body exercise (hamstring curls on a stability ball) and a compound exercise (squat to shoulder presses).
Carve the Core with Pilates
If you want to define your core and increase flexibility, strength training through Pilates is a great option. The moves, which can be modified to fit any fitness level, are designed to condition the body (with an emphasis on the core) and improve balance. Feeling a little more adventurous? Take your Pilates mat skills to the Pilates reformer, a machine that will really put that strength, balance, and coordination to the test.
Start Swinging with Kettlebells
Who knew swinging cast iron could reap such huge benefits in so little time? If you want to combine strength training and cardio workouts into one effective, calorie-blasting workout, pick up a set of kettlebells. One recent study found that in a 20-minute workout, participants were burning about 20 calories per minute. Kettlebells provide you with a quick but super-effective workout to beat those winter blues and get you summer-body ready.
Shake it all Over
If your winter warmer workout calls for something a little less hectic, but still just as effective, then try a vibrating platform for muscle toning and stimulation. As the name suggests, the platform works by shaking your entire body simply by standing on it. These full-body vibrations stimulate the muscle fibres, forcing them to contract and relax. The result boosts muscle strength and tone (without the hard work), improves balance and circulation and increases bone density. All of which contribute to a happy, healthy you.
If you suffer from back pain and find it hard to engage in regular workouts, these platforms are a great way to burn fat while reducing the pain. They offer a good workout for anyone suffering from injuries too. Perhaps the biggest benefit of these though is that they cut your workout time in half. Vibration training recruits up to 100% of your muscles’ fibres, while traditional resistance training only engages 40-60%. Less work and more benefits? We all want that!