Use exercise to stay healthy this winter

Use exercise to stay healthy this winter

As the temperature drops and the weather becomes less inviting, the temptation to avoid heading out into the cold to exercise increases. However there is no better way to stay warm, stop your energy levels slumping mid winter, and staying positive than with a regular exercise session.

Winter is no excuse to stop or slow down your training. Sure it takes a bit longer to warm up, but with some easy adaptations and an indoor ‘plan b’ for those who like to train in the great outdoors, you can get through winter without hibernating like a bear or ending up resembling one.

And here is another motivator if one of your reasons for exercising is the fact that it makes you look great; exercising throughout winter will mean that while others will be racing to the gym to start on a summer fitness blast, you will be well on your way to a healthy summer body.

There is so much advice given about how to avoid winter illnesses, with some based firmly on fact, while others are wives tales without too much substance. Exercise and activity is one form of illness prevention you can rely on. An exercised body is a healthy body, as when we exercise regularly, we enhance our overall health and sleep better. In winter this can translate to a better immune system, which can reduce the number of winter illnesses that are picked up.

When it’s cold and wet and you are exercising, it’s important to make sure you aren’t taking any unnecessary risks. Make sure you are warmed up properly and that you are wearing the right gear for outside sessions. There are also some exercises that suit a dry sunny day that aren’t good at all in more inclement conditions. With the right advice from a REPs Registered Exercise Professional who is qualified and has experience, training outdoors for you will be safe throughout the winter months.

Even the most hardy out door exerciser sometimes wants to stay indoors, so why not think about joining a exercise facility or studio where you can stay warm and dry, and still get all the exercise benefits you get from outdoor sessions. You’ll have plenty of variety with group exercise classes, as well as enough equipment to allow you to change your exercise programme regularly. You will also get the benefit of the opportunity to work with a trainer who can help you set some specific exercise goals.

In New Zealand we are fortunate to have REPs Registered Exercise Facilities which are exercise centres, gyms etc which only use Registered Exercise Professionals. You can find these at the website www.reps.org.nz. Make the time to call up a couple of your local Registered Exercise Facilities, and go and look around, Don’t be afraid to ask the staff questions either – if you are unsure about anything, just ask. If you are new to the gym, the Ministry of Health has some great guidelines to help you choose the right gym for you here.

Who is the NZ Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)?
REPs is an independent non profit organisation administrating the New Zealand exercise professionals register to ensure that the public receive safe and effective exercise advice.

Using REPs Registered Exercise Professionals is the “Warrant of Fitness Check” that exercise professionals and facilities meet New Zealand and internationally benchmarked standards to deliver exercise advice and instruction. REPs is affiliated globally to other national exercise professional registers representing over 70,000 exercise professionals through the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs) - www.icreps.org.

ENDS

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