Post holiday fitness is a necessity because of all the heavy eating that is generally done over Christmas and New Year's. Working off those aggravating winter pounds is also made difficult because of the bad weather. The weather tends to keep you indoors, where the exercise options are limited. Being indoors during the winter does not need to be counterproductive to your post holiday exercise goals. Certain types of activities are made for the winter, meaning you can still work off those pounds outdoors. The biggest challenge to post holiday fitness will come from the mind. You have to motivate yourself to get back in shape after weeks of binging on good and plentiful food.
Stair Running
After Christmas and New Year's, there may still be a lot of snow on the ground, depending on which part of the country you live in. You can still get in the adequate exercise you need to get rid of those excess pounds. You simply have to stay indoors, but you can still get in an effective workout. If you live in a house or an apartment building, you can run the stairs, though even walking them will provide a good workout. With the physical intensity involved with running the stairs, you are sure to burn off a sizable amount of calories. This kind of exercise provides you with an effective cardio workout that is good for your goal of shedding pounds.
Swimming
Swimming is another fitness routine that you can do in the winter when weather conditions may not permit lengthy exercise outdoors. Swimming is called a moderate aerobic activity, though you can increase its intensity depending on your rate of speed and how many strokes you make. The Department of Health and Human Services actually recommends swimming as an effective way to lose weight. Swimming is so versatile that you can use it to maintain your weight. It can be stretched out over an entire week; you don't have to overdo it during one session in the pool. The DHHS advises Americans to stretch out swimming so they get two and a half hours of it every week. For post holiday fitness, swimming is very easy to do because it is also an enjoyable activity. When you're in the pool, you likely won't even feel like you're doing exercise.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is an unorthodox activity for exercise purposes, but it is catching on. This is yet another physical exercise that may prove to be ideal for a post holiday workout. After all, conditions outside may be such that you can't get around very well in the snow. That's where snowshoeing proves to be ideal and practical. Through snowshoeing, you can use the conditions outside as an aid in exercise. Just by walking in showshoes, you will get the same calorie-burning effects of normal walking. However, snowshoeing is easier on your knees because of the absorption of shock that the large surface provides.
