Cabin fever is REAL…especially in cold winter climates when you’re boxed inside all day and night. Regardless of where you live, WINTER WEATHER Workouts are the BEST way to take exercise comfortably outside…even in the coldest weather.
STRESSED
Practice Yoga
When you’re stressed, the hormone cortisol courses through your body, leaving you tense, agitated, and foggy. Get back to a calm state of mind with yoga. Not only will the sweat-inducing moves in a more vigorous class, such as Vinyasa, help stretch you out, build core muscles, and deplete cortisol, but yoga’s strong focus on the mind helps clear out that fog and get you back to a neutral state of body and mind.
BORED
Do something new to you
Maybe you are sick of your everyday, mundane routine after work, or perhaps your weekends need just a bit more excitement. Challenge yourself and do something that scares you, like grabbing a harness or a rope, and giving climbing a try. The challenge of reaching the top hold of the route is addicting, and the rush of joy when you do complete the route won’t leave you for hours.
EXCITED
Take a dance class
Whether you are celebrating your strong, capable body, or even a recent accomplishment at work, feed off this excitement and bring it into your workout. The best workout to stay amped up. The high-energy music will mimic your high-energy mood, and the moves will get your heart pumping. Plus, dance not only works your heart and core muscles, but will also put your coordination, concentration, and memory to the test.
HAPPY
Go for a run
Getting to your favorite WINTER WEATHER workouts isn’t always the easiest. So if you are already in a rocking, happy mood, flow with that energy and lace up. The already cheerful mood will make the jog seem like less of a chore and more of a fun way to explore the area or groove to some music. Plus, it’s not called a ‘runner’s high’ for nothing. Getting your body moving will boost the endorphins in your brain. These cheerful chemicals double as painkillers to help lessen the sense of discomfort.
ANGRY
Try combat training
We’ve all had moments where we just want to hit something. But rather than destroying your goods (and knuckles), find a local kickboxing gym. A combat training class can ease that frustration from the daily grind. You’ll learn to kick, punch, and strike with proper form. And work your larger muscles with conditioning drills like planks, push-ups, and squats.
ANXIOUS
Try strength training
According to research by the University of South Carolina, resistance training is the top exercise that can help improve generalized anxiety. You are guaranteed not just a hard strength-training workout. But a fun, high-energy one that will leave you sore the next day. The classes use light to medium weights with high reps to get a full-body workout that tones every muscle group and works the core, too. As you keep coming back week after week, you’ll see your muscles grow while your nerves and jitters decrease.
PESSIMISTIC
Join a functional training class
Rather than giving into that sad feeling by eating junk and feeling even worse, get snapped out of that mood with group functional training. The short-term benefits of strength training and conditioning programs include a quick lift in your mood. While the long-term benefits have been shown to decrease symptoms of depression. Plus, with everyone else in the class or at your CrossFit box cheering you on, it’d be hard to stop a smile from forming through the sweat.
