Shaking it up when temperatures are down

Does cold weather derail your workout routine? Like when the ice-glazed surfaces of the great outdoors have you waddling like a penguin, yet the thought of taking a run on a treadmill or putting on your swimsuit puts a chill on your enthusiasm?

I can relate; I seem to get better cardio workouts with a change of scenery or a mix of โ€œmovesโ€ and music. I know Iโ€™m fortunate in having access to DMUโ€™s wonderful wellness program, where our oh-so-chipper wellness staff put me through the paces in spinning and step classes, core exercises and strength training.

Photo: Prevention.com
Photo: Prevention.com

Still, having grown up in the Midwest where the cold and snow are winter givens, I took to heart Prevention.comโ€™s recent post on walking workouts for the winter months. Okay, some of the bits of advice are no-brainers, like dress for the weather and allow at least 10 minutes to warm up. But I liked the creativity of the siteโ€™s tips for how to make treadmill time more interesting when the weather is bad or itโ€™s too dark outside. Here are some of the postโ€™s โ€œboredom bustersโ€:

  • Create a tape of fast and slow songs to keep your pace upbeat and make the time fly.
  • Using an old deck of cards, label the jacks a โ€œsprint,โ€ the queens a โ€œhill,โ€ the kings a โ€œslow paceโ€ and the aces a โ€œmoderate pace.โ€ Shuffle the deck, flip a card, do what it says for one minute, then flip another. Continue until youโ€™ve completed your workout.
  • Grab a partner and take turns walking on the treadmill followed by sets of three resistance moves, such as bicep curls, squats and ab crunches.
  • Create a game while walking and watching TV, such as speeding up during the commercials. Or pick a character on your show and run/walk faster when she or he is on screen.

What do you do to keep moving during cold months?