Ways To Stay Healthy In Winter

Here we go again - no sooner have I packed my holiday suitcase with beach and holiday clothes back on the top of the wardrobe than the weather takes a turn.  Not that it needed to turn too much after the summer (or lack of it) we have had this year here in the UK.
Blimey, I think I wore my cropped trousers 3 times and my jumper or a fleece most days.

However, at least the weather was mild enough to be outside to get some fresh air and exercise.  We went for some really great walks (actually the weather was perfect for walking - not too hot and not too wet and cold - just right).  We went out on our bikes and again the weather was just right.  We went to the gym and to the pool - so all in all despite the lack of lounging in the sun type weather we had a good summer.

But, back to the autumn.  The season of settling in and hibernation, the season for getting those last few outside jobs done and the season for getting those nice warm socks out and hats and gloves ready for the ice and frost to come.  I actually love autumn - I love all the seasons for very different reasons but if I had to pick a favourite I reckon it would be autumn.

I love to smell that woody, damp smell where the leaves have fallen and bonfires been lit.  I love to go for walks on a chilly afternoon with my warm coat and hat and gloves on and I especially love to walk along kicking at piles of yellow, orange browny leaves that crackle and crunch underfoot.

But, the colder weather also brings it's own hazards and one of these is the run of winer bugs that seem to plague millions as the weather turns in.  We get sniffles and coughs and winter vomiting.  Yet much of this could be easily avoided or make far less severe if we were a bit more proactive in looking after ourselves and in particular in boosting our immune system.

So, what are some good ways of protecting ourselves over winter?

Well, one of the best ways is by keeping fit and active and resisting the temptation to just trow in the towel and hibernate in the warmth of your home.  Get out and about in the cold sharp fresh air and get the blood pumping round your veins.  Get out your warm hat and gloves and even take a thermos of hot tea.
Get into the gym for a warm up and workout and feel all invigorated and alive when you hit the cold air when you get back outside.
Or….. if going outside is really not your thing then how about investing in a portable step machine so that you can work out at home?

Portable step machines today can be small and discreet so no one need to know your guilty little secret.  They can deliver a workout with a real punch.  If you look at the elliptical trainers - these not only do the up and down of conventional steppers but they also do the side to side motion you get from say skiing or cycling.  You get a really deep workout using muscles you either did not now you had or forgot you had years ago.

With a portable step machine workout you get the muscle exhausting workout you need combined with the card vascular pump workout your heart needs to stay strong and healthy.

So, stop revelling in being unhealthy this winter - you do not need to leave the comfort of your own front room to get fit and strong and the best thing is that no one else need know your little secret of healthy success.

Step Machine Review - Sunny Health & Fitness Twister Stepper

I do not know about you but I for one have noticed over the last 2 weeks how the nights have begun to draw in.  Just 2 weeks ago we enjoyed the last barbecue of the year where we were able to enjoy sitting out in the garden until well after dark and not be chilly at all.

Now just 2 short weeks down the line autumn has arrived.  The mornings are albeit bright and sunny for the most part but chilly, the nights are getting darker earlier and earlier.

Time to begin to draw in and hibernate for the long process of winter.

This is the time of year where leaving the house after teatime holds no appeal for many people whatsoever.  What may have seemed like a good idea at one time no longer seems that when it is cold and dark and often raining.  No more going out for a run in the warm balmy air of the english early evening.

So, this brings me to the subject of still being able to keep fit and healthy over the winter months.

I have recently been looking at portable step machines as a method of getting a good regular workout for both muscles and my cardiovascular system.  In particular I have been drawn to several models that look to have the best of all worlds ......   

Sunny Health & Fitness Twister Stepper

Now the reason this one caught my eye is that it is a double whammy - it is an elliptical trainer which means not only do you get an up/down step workout but also a side to side skiing/cycling one.  It has got variable resistance settings so as you get fitter your workout gets harder and will make you aware of muscle groups you never imagined you had :)

This means that you get a much better and deeper workout.  I am all for getting more value out of the same effort. I particularly loved this one too as it simply stashes away under the bed or in a cupboard and no one need be any the wiser about your little secret need they?

This really does seem to be a Rolls Royce of step machines and being priced round about the $50 mark is extremely good value for a very sturdy heavy duty piece of home gym equipment. 

Not only that it even has an integrated computer with an LCD display so that you can monitor your workout and keep track of previous ones.

You can even work out with your arms and upper body as there are also some exercise bands for the upper body.  This really can be a whole body workout in the comfort of your sitting room.

Another reason I am drawn to portable step machines is that you can be doing other things whilst working out - I am a great advocate in multi tasking and working out is a chore to me so the fact that I can be listening to my Ipod or watching TV makes it slightly more tolerable to do.

Getting Fit Over Winter

I have got a friend who always does the same thing - she eats for comfort all winter then come spring she has a massive panic over how she is going to look on the beach and all of a sudden she crash diets like a maniac.

She totally resents the diet, cheats her way through it then sighs and moans how bad she looks in her bikini.

Now, you can argue that I have been born lucky - rake thin.

However, what I will say in my own defence is that if I want to achieve something badly enough i somehow find the necessary will power to get me to where I want to be and if (god forbid) I needed to lose a pound or three in weight then if I wanted to do this that badly I would do whatever it took.

So, back to Jo (or that's what we call her here ) - you see all through winter I have observed that whilst she increases her calorie intake her exercise intake goes down.  In summer she goes out for a run and swims twice a week but winter she hibernates eating her way along.

If she were to simply continue with her exercise regime and cut down on her food a bit this would make a huge difference to her.  I suggested this once and she replied that the weather here in the UK is far too cold, dark and wet to even contemplate it.

That was until she discovered the joys of a step machine.

You see having a step machine in her home (not only that but a portable step machine so no one else knew her little secret) means that she can exercise like being at the gym or out for a run in the privacy of her home.  She can watch the TV whilst she breaks into a sweat and then hide the evidence away for later.  Not as bad as hiding your chocolate wrappers is it?

The cost of buying her stepper worked out less than gym fees over winter and she has got it for next year too.  She recently learned about the new style stepper the elliptical trainer and is now talking of her next purchase with great excitement

She now reports that she loves to exercise in winter and no longer feels bad about eating comfort food as she has a way to easily work off any excess and keep herself trim and fit whilst it rains, snows and does it's best as only english weather knows how.