By Suzana Talevski – Television fitness presenter and instructor Scenario 1: So it’s getting harder to get out of bed. It’s freezing cold outside, it’s warm in bed. You’ll try to get to the gym or go for a run after work. As you switch the alarm off and you drift back into the land of nod you are unaware of the disservice you have just done to yourself. Scenario 2: Driving to the gym after work it starts bucketing down, hailing, a storm is blowing in and your patience to find a car park is quickly reaching its limits. You will go tomorrow morning, yep, first thing tomorrow morning. But as you settle in with a glass of that red you have been dreaming about all day you know that isn’t really going happen either. So the cycle continues. And the weight starts creeping up, and up.
STOP! Let’s break the cycle and talk winter training tips. If you want a beach body, it isn’t going to magically appear on December 1, the work starts right now. Here are some ideas about staying motivated over winter... • Join a club that gets you moving. So you don’t feel like going to the gym, that’s fine, you just have to keep moving. How about indoor soccer or basketball? Or maybe now is the perfect time to book a three-month course to learn how to salsa? One hour of salsa dancing burns about 450 calories. Go for it! • Make a pact with a buddy or a group of friends to keep training. Set yourselves rewards for sticking with your plan. For example, a yummy treat at your favourite cafe every week. • Get a personal trainer. They will help keep you on track by varying your
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workouts and keep you motivated through new and exciting challenges. • Take advantage of the winter sports and activities in Melbourne. There are lots of them. For example: »» I ce skating. Burns around 480 calories an hour if skating at a moderate pace. »» I ndoor climbing. Challenge yourself to conquer new heights, improve your speed and master new climbs. You will burn about 750 calories per hour. »» I f you want to get into the outdoors then Victoria has some great snowfields and ski resorts, we really are spoilt for choice. You burn about 450 calories while skiing. Don’t be afraid to get out into the cold. New research published early this year suggested shivering triggers a response in muscles similar to that of exercise.
The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, found that the muscles of shivering people trigger the release of a hormone that activates brown fat, a type of fat that burns energy to generate heat.
The main point is to keep moving AND make it fun!
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