Monday, December 14, 2009

Staying Fit

I feel as though I've put this question out there before, but here goes: how do you stay fit during the winter months?

If I go running outside rignt now, I'll die on the ice. We can't exactly put a treadmill in our apartment. I'd love to be able to run more than anything, but at this point it looks like our only option is an exercise bike (since they are somewhat quiet).

Thoughts?

(p.s. Update is coming up soon!)

6 comments:

Chandelle said...

This has been hard for us, too. It doesn't snow here, but it has been pretty rainy for a few days and the mornings are COLD. And we don't live on a street that's very safe for cycling.

It's been even harder for Jeremy because he doesn't have time to go to a gym OR to do much cycling around his schedule. So he's been slowly acquiring a decent weight set. He's also getting a recumbent bike for Solstice (sh...). Some of the newer recumbent bikes are cheap (less than $150) and small, sometimes even fold-away to save space, and very quiet. You can always find that stuff on craigslist, too.

The third thing that helps (other than a bike and weights) is exercise videos. I've been getting a bunch from Netflix so I have a good mix. I especially like Jillian Michaels' Shred workout. It beats my ass pretty effectively in only 20 minutes and she's not annoyingly perky. We like a few yoga videos to work out with the kids, too.

I have a gym membership but I can only go when I'm actually in town. That means I can go 4 or 5 days a week right now, but for the three-week holiday break I won't be going at all. And having a gap like that has always spelled disaster for me as far as staying in shape, because I lose the routine and then it's hard to get back into it. So having the videos and a few pieces of simple equipment at home should be really helpful.

Does your school have a running track? Or even an indoor running track? I seem to remember that outdoor running tracks were kept ice-free in the winter, so maybe that would be an option, if you don't mind running in the cold.

Hope that helps!

JandA said...

My issue is the scorching summer months. This year for my birthday I got the Wii Fit. If you have a Wii, this is AWESOME!!! Through a sensible diet and the Wii Fit 3times a week for 30 minutes, I have lost 15lbs. The plan is to keep going but the past couple of weeks have been a little stressful. There is a running feature, you don't actually run on the balance board, you put the remote in your pocket and run in place or around your apartment and it keeps track that way. I love it, I do at least 10minutes of running during my 30min workout. I hope you find something fun you can do. Good Luck!

Larissa said...

we could hit the school gym again? or apartment gym. or come over and use my elliptical for a while.

J said...

Maybe you could sign up with an intramural sports team at your school. Something like soccer might be good. I know when I was in school they had their soccer games inside during the winter. That would keep you active and it could be a fun way to meet new people. Mike and I have been looking for a treadmill for awhile now, but so far we haven't been able to find a decent one within our budget. I ran everyday over the summer, and I really grew to enjoy it. It's one of the best ways to burn calories (even though it can be hard on the knees and other joints.) I also like to do work-out videos, but I don't have a very vast selection, so I tend to get bored with the same ones after awhile. Good luck! Can't wait for the update.

J said...
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J said...

I just thought of something else. Maybe you can sign up with a dance class. Mike and I did that once during the winter and it was really fun and a good workout too. Also, maybe there are some places in your community that offer step aerobics or turbo jam classes for cheap (or even free.) These ideas all mean working out with other people, and maybe you'd rather just go solo, but they are the only things I can think of besides what's already been mentioned.