Don't lose your summer body. 10 tips to keep you in shape this winter

With the days starting to get shorter and the air getting cooler, it’s clear the colder months are upon us. While some may welcome the cool change in the air others may not welcome the change to their bodies. Just because summer is on its way out doesn’t mean your summer body must go too.

 

Here are 10 tips to keep your summer body in tip top shape this winter.

 

1. Get walking

Briskly walking for just 15mins every day may extend your life by as much as 3 years. Here in Australia we are lucky to have beautiful coastlines and rugged bush tracks so rug up and get out in the great outdoors. Studies have found walking can improve circulation, stop the loss of bone mass, improve mental health, lighten your mood, strengthen muscles, advance sleep quality, lower blood pressure, help your joints, reduce stress and boost immune system. Aside from its many health benefits, walking can be done with anyone anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, if you want to double your karma, initiatives like rescue your fitness encourage active people to stop by their local pound and take a pooch out for a walk or a run. What better way to get some exercise and enjoy some time with a furry friend.

 

2. Get back in the kitchen

Gone are the days where healthy eating is boring and expensive. Studies have shown adequate nutrition can raise your productivity levels by 20%. There are so many healthy recipes, blogs, vlogs & meal prep tips available on the internet these days so it’s time to get creative, get back in the kitchen and re-discover your love of good, healthy, nutritious food. If eating healthy is something you need a bit more motivation for, chef and nutritionist Zoe Bingley Pullin has developed an 8-week falling in love with food program designed from her passion to help educate and prepare people with the knowledge and skills to create tasty and nutritious meals that make you want to eat healthy.

 

3. Hot Yoga

With temperatures dropping outside, why not switch regular yoga for a hot yoga practice? With lots of different styles like Bikram, Flow Athletic, Power living, Moksha or lots of privately owned studios across Australia it’s a great time to give hot yoga a go. The heat in the yoga studios helps flush out toxins the body may be holding onto whilst helping you go deeper and safer into the poses. The heat elevates your heart rate which gets the body working harder. It helps with strength, tone, flexibility, breathing and a great cardiovascular workout.

 

4. Try a phone app

With so much technology at the tip of our fingers, why not make the most out of your phone and download some Apps to help you achieve your health goals. There are apps to help you to count the calories you eat, the steps you take even replace the gym so you can stay on track with your health goals. Apps like Dance Break by No Light No Lycra is an app backed by the Victorian government designed to get people up and moving. Once a day the app will override your phone with a funky dance track you can get up and move to and is being used by thousands of people all around the world every day.

 

5. Take a Well-cation

It has been proven not taking holidays can increase your anxiety, stress and blood pressure which can contribute to major health problems. You’ve worked hard all year and you deserve a holiday. Why not make it a well-cation? With companies like Flow Athletic running their Clean Breaks retreat on a Bali beachfront resort, now means you can enjoy daily yoga, activity’s, massages and exploring everything your holiday destination has to offer in a healthy and fun way leaving your holiday feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

 

6. Get Supplements

While eating nutritionally balanced meals is exactly what your body needs to power through the day, sometimes it’s not enough. Because people are exercising, working, meeting friends and running around after the kids, the body needs supplements to make sure our energy levels stay high. Whether it’s a simple daily multivitamin, protein supplement or tonic to help you up your game, companies like Body Science have been creating health supplements to assist your body in achieving your health goals.

 

7. Community Parks

Now that the heat is gone, get down to your local park for a training session. All around Australia, governments and councils have installed outdoor resistance gym gear like A_space outdoor gyms. It’s a free alternative to the gym and great for every age and fitness level. Resistance training helps improve muscle strength and tone while protecting your joints from injury and helps keep your independence as you age.

 

8. Keep motivated in a class

Sometimes booking yourself into a class is a great way to keep yourself motivated as you are more likely to show up to a workout that you’ve secured ahead of time. Find classes in your local area that are something you enjoy like dance, circuit or Barre Attack which is a combination of high intensity and low impact movements, cardio intervals, resistance bands and balls all accompanied to a string of uplifting songs is great for all fitness levels. You will leave here feeling more aligned and centered in your body. They also run online classes so if it’s too cold to leave the house you can do it from the comfort of your home.

 

9. Meal Prep

Being prepared can not only set your healthy eating habit in stone but can also save you time and money. Winter is a great time to make up a big pot of healthy soup. Divvy up the pot in small containers and put in the freezer. You can do this with a lot of meals like curries, rice, pasta, stir fry (etc.) then when you come home from work simply re-heat and eat. Sticking to what produce is naturally in season means your food bill will be less but also you are getting the freshest and most nutritious value out of your produce.

 

10. Listen to your body

Your body sends hundreds of messages to your cells daily, so listen out! Listening to your body is a skill and thus needs to be practiced. Not listening to our bodies can lead to injuries, fatigue, illness, mental exhaustion and sleeping problems just to name a few. So, next time you go to eat or exercise, stop and feel what your body is telling you. E.g. Headache could mean you are dehydrated – try some water not an aspirin. Feeling weak and fuzzy – don’t do a hard-core weights session, try yoga or a walk. Feeling faint – did you eat enough? Try eating something more nutritious. If we learn to follow the signals our body is giving us we will be in the best shape all year round.