We know, the weather is changing and replacing your morning run with an extra half-hour in bed is SOOO tempting, right? It’s easy to let our workout habits slide during the colder months but the good news is that you don’t have to be a fitness guru to reap the benefits of exercise. Don’t assume that your only choice is a frosty run or the dreaded treadmill.

Exercise is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug – it’s wide range of benefits include heart health, lower cancer risk and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. Plus, and here’s the bonus, it keeps off the kilos, even when you’re cosying up to a carby lasagne now and then!

Also, did you know that exercise boosts cognitive function and can reduce your risk of cognitive decline significantly?

All truly amazing, however, if you’re really not a winter person and you’ve already entered the early stages of hibernation, you’ll need a little more inspo to get you off the couch. Enter fitness influencers. Millions of followers turn to “fit-fluencers” (or “FitTok”), Instagram, YouTube and other social media platforms as their go-to source for fitness advice.

These influencers are real people who have achieved real results through hard work and dedication. They come in all shapes and sizes ranging from pro athletes and trainers to everyday individuals on personal fitness journeys. By sharing their own stories and struggles, they create a sense of relatability and authenticity that resonates with their audience. Popular well-known fitness influencers include Buhle K Maluluke, Kayla Itsines, Phil Heath, Jen Selter, and many more. Check them out for a little extra push.

Meanwhile, before you start digging for your fat-pants, here are a few winter exercise ideas:

• Cook up some moves. Crank up the music and dance to some rockin’ tunes while dinner is on the stove.
• Do mall walking. When walking outdoors is not an option for you, A brisk one-hour walk in the mall can burn up to 400 calories!
• Make your social life more active. Meet a friend for a 30-minute power walk instead of heading for the coffee shop.
• Do a home workout. A workout DVD or a quick YouTube search could hook you up with indoor aerobic routines.
• Take the stairs, always!
• Go for a bike ride. This low impact sport is great when you’re recovering from an injury or have dodgy knees.
• Go for a spin. Give an indoor spinning class a go. Blast a lot of calories and get a lower body workout among a supportive group. Perfect!
• Workout while gaming. Exercise video games are made to get you off the couch and moving.
• Take an indoor exercise class. Try hot yoga, play squash, take an aerobics class, or find an indoor pool.
• Take the dog for a walk.
• Walk on the spot while binge watching your favourite TV shows.

Don’t allow the cold winter months to be an excuse to ignore fitness and wellbeing.

Keep moving!

Source: gardenoflife.com, fitness-show.com.au, fitnessmagazine.com, sparkpeople.com, everydayhealth.com, active.com, coolerlifestyle.com, health24.com, weightlossgroove.com, workingmother.com, health.com, webmd.com, scolastic.com, curiousworld.com, liverpoolecho.co.uk, express.co.uk, parentingsquad.com, blog.metlife.com, liferetreat.co.za, discovery.co.za, womenshealthmag.com, shape.com, officialsocialstar.com, linkedin.com