Daniel Goddard, Manager of one of the UK’s leading sports equipment suppliers, Stadia Sports, discusses a few tips and trick to help you and your children keep fit during Winter.
Have you noticed the weather is getting cooler? Well, we certainly have! Even in the Winter, exercise is still important to boost your mood and increase your energy levels. Exercising during winter is equally important as exercising during summer, even if it’s a lot harder. Cold dark mornings and evenings generally means that comfy clothes and a duvet sounds much better than being active.
It’s also worth noting that a recent report by Ofcom revealed that children’s internet use has reached record highs, with youngsters aged 5-15 spending around 15 hours each week online – overtaking time spent watching a TV set for the first time.
So, now more than ever, it’s vital to stay active during Winter. Winter is also a great time to start a dedicated indoor athletic activity, such as swimming, mainly as there are fewer social distractions for them e.g. friends, relationships, exams, extracurricular hobbies, etc.…
More children are taking an interest in sport, and as parents, we should be doing all we can to encourage them. However, in Winter that is easier said than done. Here are a few tips that will help you and your family stay active through Winter into the New Year. Some of these tips can also have a knock-on effect with other aspects of life, such as diet, sleep, energy and mood.
Children can be very indecisive when it comes to hobbies, and they can lose interest in something they once loved in the space of an afternoon. This is why it will be useful for parents and other family members to join in.
During Winter, we tend to move less and therefore it’s easy to perhaps gain some unwanted habits, so we’ve put together some advice on how to keep fit at this time of year.
Indoor Exercise
Exercising outside in the Winter chill might not be very pleasant but there are still plenty of ways to stay fit inside. Why not go on YouTube and find fun and engaging workout videos and do it with your children? Why not even try yoga? A great way to keep active that can help strengthen and tone your muscles. Or even try jogging on the spot whilst watching TV! Exercising indoors is a great way of staying active and can be planned at a time that suits you.
Indoor Sports
There are many sports that can still be done inside. If you have children that play teamsports such as football and rugby, why not give them lessons or opportunities to try indoor sports such as squash, badminton, or even just take them swimming?
Use the Stairs
Are you one of those people who always use the lift?
When out of the house, why not use the stairs instead of lifts? Going Christmas shopping over the weekend, why not use the stairs to get to the top floor of John Lewis?
Make the most of every chance you get to motivate yourself and stay active, especially in winter! Get your heart racing by seeing how fast you can walk up the stairs. This will strengthen the muscles in your legs and is also a fantastic cardio workout.
Enjoy a Walk
Embrace Winter and wrap up! Enjoy going for a walk with your family members. This will help you keep a positive frame of mind about staying fit. Getting outside will help supply your body with Vitamin D. This helps improve your immune system and cardiovascular health.
Embrace Seasonal Food
It’s easy to indulge in lots of comfort at this time of year. Instead, we suggest trying all the tasty seasonal food there is on offer to improve your fitness and health. Encourage the family to eat stew, soup, fruit like grapefruit, or seasonal vegetables like pak choi and kale are just a few ideas!
So, follow a few of these tips, to help you and your kids keep fit this Winter!