Top Ways to Stay Fit in Winter

Cloudy skies and cold temperatures can depress motivation. Snow and ice seem to melt our best efforts, and drive us to reach for a good book instead of workout clothes. With a change of attitude, you can turn snowy days into new winter fitness adventures, using nature as your playground.

Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett says staying fit during the winter can be fun, and may add a new dimension to your warm weather routine.

Change is Good
Winter weather offers the opportunity to change our trusty regimen. Burn rubber in a spin class, trade hiking boots for snowshoes; rollerblades for ice skates, or take a swing class and dance those winter blues away.

Play in the Snow
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are excellent winter workouts. A 150-pound woman will burn 500 calories in an hour, and the timeless beauty of falling snow brings a refreshing solitude to our busy lives. Have a snowball fight, build a snowman, or go sledding for wintertime family fun.

Dose Up on D
Spark your stamina, fortify your immune system, and build strong bones with an adequate intake of vitamin D. Sunshine is the best source, which is why we need to supplement in the winter. A serving of wild caught salmon provides 128 percent of our daily needs, making it the champion of cold season choices.  

Fuel Your Fire
Curling up to a crackling fire on a cold, dark evening is a wonderful way to end the day. Fuel your fire by chopping your own wood. It’s a total body workout that will keep you warm in the winter air. Turn it into family time by having your kids stack the logs, then toast marshmallows after dinner.

Keep Fit at Home
Chances are, if you have kids, you have video games. Active video games allow you to stay home while offering a variety of routines. Regain equilibrium with balance games, or try yoga for a dose of calming strength. If you don’t have video games, try a Jazzercise DVD when you feel like staying in. 

Winter doesn’t have to bring on the blues.  Follow these tips and you can have fun and stay fit even when it’s cold outside.

Judi Sheppard Missett, who turned her love of jazz dance into a worldwide dance exercise phenomenon, founded the Jazzercise dance fitness program in 1969. She has advanced the business opportunities of women and men in the fitness industry by growing the program into an international franchise business that today, hosts a network of 7,800 instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries.

The workout program, which offers a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, cardio box and Latin style movements, has positively affected millions of people worldwide. Benefits include increased cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility, as well as an overall "feel good" factor.  Additional Jazzercise programs include Junior Jazzercise, Jazzercise Lite and Personal Touch.  For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (760)476-1750.

Courtesy of Jazzercise, Inc. - jazzercise.com