Winter fitness tips

Canada is known for its cold weather, so what happens when you resolve to get healthy in the new year and a few feet of snow drops on the ground or the wind chill hits -20? With your job, commuting, shuttling family, and a everything else you have to fit into your work day, it can be hard to squeeze fitness in.

The bad news? Our Canadian winter is just getting started. The good news? It’s actually pretty easy to fit in 30 minutes of cardio during a busy work day, even when you can’t hit the great outdoors for a run or brisk walk. Because 30 minutes of cardio is all you need to get on track for a healthy 2017, there are a few ways you can work it in.

Here’s a few winter fitness tips for your busy workday.

Try 10 minute fitness intervals

Only have a 10 minute break between meetings? You can try to fit in a few quick blasts of cardio during that time. You can run up and down several flights of stairs, do 3 sets of 20 jumping jacks in the break room, or grab your yoga mat and do 5 sets of 10 sit ups in a quiet corner.

If you have a fitness tracker you’ll be able to watch the steps really add up. I think it will surprise you at how much you can accomplish in 10 minute bursts.

Bring your fitness equipment to work

Short on time during your work day? It’s simple to fit in a workout when you bring your fitness gear to work.

All you need is a corner of a stairwell or quiet spot in the break room and you can unroll your yoga mat. With all of the great apps available for a smartphone you can easily work your way through a 20 minute or half hour routine on your lunch break.

Free weights are easy to use during your work day. Just get your heart pumping by running up a  few stairs then work your way through a weight routine that focuses on your arms, back, and upper body.

You can even bring a fitness hoop to work and do a hula hoop workout when you have free time. It’s easy to stash certain types of fitness equipment like steppers, hoops, and mats in your cubicle and you can pull it out whenever you want to exercise.

Switch out your desk chair

Have you ever tried using a stability ball instead of a desk chair? Using one is not considered cardio, but it can build up your core strength to improve your endurance for when you do your cardio every day.

Some people swear by stability balls because you use your muscles to stabilize yourself and it builds up your trunk strength. It’s not recommended that you use stability balls all day, but you can switch one out for your chair a few times per day and keep the stability ball nearby to perform stretching exercises or use during yoga.

That’s all it takes to squeeze in 30 minutes of cardio during your work day. Why not try these winter fitness tips to challenge yourself this week by breaking up your cardio or bringing fitness gear to work? You’d be surprised at how quickly it pays off.