Find that you’re less active during the colder months when blustery weather makes it hard to bike, hike, garden, swim and do all your usual outdoor exercises? Then, you’re also missing out on the great benefits from being active—such as a stronger heart, more energy, a smaller waistline, a brighter mood and less stress. Luckily, there are lots of easy, inexpensive ways to make indoor workouts just as enjoyable as outdoor ones:
* Relive your childhood with a hula hoop. They’re not just for kids anymore. Adult-sized versions are slightly heavier to give you an easy workout that tones your hips and tummy. They’re about $40 at sports stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority. Never hula hooped before? Check out instructional videos at ehow.
* Turn your outdoor bike into an indoor one. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy stationary bike. Simply put your regular bicycle’s rear wheel on a training stand to hold it in place and you can start pedaling away right now. Find one on ebay for about $40.
* Stretch with elastic bands. Forget cluttering your home with bulky barbells and weight equipment to get stronger arms, legs and stomach muscles. Elastic resistance bands—which strengthen muscles as you stretch the band—work just as well and take up a fraction of the space. Starting at about $10 from amazon.
* Hike your stairs. At a normal pace, you’ll burn over 200 calories every 30 minutes. That’s as much as you’d shave off with a StairMaster.
* Turn on the TV. There are many free exercise and yoga programs up and down the TV dial. You can even order many free “on demand” shows so you can work out around your schedule. Check tvguide or your local program guide for schedules.
[photo: Richard Faulder]
