Winter’s arrival often means cosy evenings in front of the TV and one too many mugs of hot chocolate. All very well, but this won’t do your weight loss ambitions any good. But if it’s the chilly outdoors that’s putting you off your usual exercise regime, there’s a whole host of activities up for offer that will burn calories without you having to brave the minus temperatures.
From indoor snow domes to 5-a-side team sports, keep the whole family fit and active this season – and you’ll keep your weight loss on track. Not only that, you will all have great fun in the process.
Work out in the white stuff
Snow might have started to visit us annually, but you don’t have to wait for the flakes to fall to enjoy winter sports. Snow domes and centres across the UK offer ski and snow board lessons without the hefty flight and ski pass expense. Plus, you don’t have to completely freeze in order to enjoy a run down the slopes.
Play yourself healthy: Skiing and snowboarding work your body’s core to the max! They also use your thigh, hamstring and buttock muscles, as well as raising your heart rate for a cardio workout. More importantly, these wintery sports are great for weight loss, burning hundreds of calories with each run. Enjoy a day on the slopes, and you’re sure to feel it the following morning.
Conquer some heights
You don’t always need to find a cliff edge to enjoy the thrills of wall climbing. Taking this outdoor activity indoors is becoming increasingly popular and makes for a year-round sport. There are now hundreds of indoor walls for you and the family to summit and each offer different routes of ascent for varying ages and abilities.
Play yourself healthy: Wall climbing provides a total body workout, improving strength and muscle tone in the arms, chest, back and legs. It also works your balance and hand-eye coordination as you move from one hold to the next. Plus, it’s both a great way to start out and build confidence, or simply keep your climbing skills and fitness ticking over during the winter months.
Dance on the ice
If your children are running you ragged at home, then let them burn off their natural exuberance while you burn some calories with a few laps at the skating rink. This fun activity really is a great one for all the family – girls, boys, mum and dad – and you will be talking and laughing about it for hours afterwards.
Play yourself healthy: Skating is an aerobic sport that improves cardiovascular health and strengthens muscles, primarily the quadriceps and hamstrings in the legs. It also strengthens the abdomen and back muscles to improve posture and balance. Plus, it’s great for weight loss. According to the US Figure Skating Association 1 hour of recreational skating burns between 250-810 calories. As a low-impact sport it isn’t hard on your joints like running can be, and also works your agility and flexibility to boot.
• Hunt down your nearest ice skating rink and you’ll soon be Dancing on Ice like the stars of Saturday night TV. And keep your eyes peeled for the temporary outdoor pop-up rinks in your local area for a real festive family fitness outing.
Take 5
If you don’t fancy braving it on the icy footy pitch, take things indoors and down a size with a game of 5-a-side football. This 5-player sport perfectly caters for a whole family. If your brood doesn’t quite fill a team, simply invite a friend or two to join in. Using a smaller pitch, smaller goals and a reduced game time means this winter activity is suitable for most ages and fitness levels.
Play yourself healthy: A series of studies claim that 5-a-side footy has greater benefits than the full-scale game because it ensures all the players get a vigorous workout. There are also many kicks, twists, turns and sprints, providing dynamic exercise. Prof Peter Krustrup from Copenhagen University, who lead some of the research, suggests it is the stop-start nature of 5-a-side that helps build fitness and burn fat. It’s also believed to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease more effectively than strength training, as well as improving bone density.
Squash in some swings
Summer has left us for another year and that means bye-bye Wimbledon, strawberries and tennis rallies. But don’t fret, because if you don’t have indoor tennis courts nearby, you can still enjoy the swing of a racket. Squash, the UK’s fastest growing sport, is a condensed version of tennis where you hit the ball against walls rather than over a net. It is fast, furious and a surefire way to vent the kids’ excess energy and your unwanted stress from your working day. This 2-player sport is ideal for parent/child time. Why not start your own family tournament?
Play yourself healthy: Acclaimed US-magazine Forbes has hailed squash as the healthiest sport of all, basing its research on cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, calorie burn and injury risk. The constant rallies and running builds muscular strength in the lower body, while agility and flexibility in the back and abdomen are improved with lunges, twists and turns. Hit the courts for just 30 minutes and you’ll experience a challenging workout and burn hundreds of calories.
Yoga and Pilates
Many of us go to regular exercise classes, but few of us think of them as family fitness. Enjoying a yoga or Pilates class with your children is a fantastic way to keep them fit and find a common hobby. It introduces them to independent exercise at a young age and instills an element of discipline, setting them in good stead for when they are older.
Play yourself healthy: Both yoga and Pilates develop flexibility and balance, work the back, abdomen and core muscles, improve posture, aid good circulation through breathing techniques, alleviate stress and tensions and improve concentration. These practices keep the body supple and agile and bring breathing, meditation and focus to the fore. A source of much needed calm in the pre-Christmas build up, perhaps?