Planning for Winter

Planning for Winter

As we are starting to see colder weather, and with COVID-19 surging, I am planning ahead. You may know from my blogs I love to hike. But hiking options here get very limited during winter. We have fewer open trails, and when it is icy, hiking trails may be less safe.

In the past during winter, I enjoyed skiing, taking exercise classes, and working out at a gym. Now my arthritic knees have greatly limited my skiing; last year I realized I could no longer safely stop or turn on the hills. I don’t feel safe going to the gym during the pandemic so I cancelled my membership (for now). And all fitness classes in our city are either canceled, or offered on-line only.

It is all too easy for me to sit home and watch television, or do crosswords, play guitar, read, or many other sedentary enjoyable activities. So, my plans for staying fit include:

1. Exercise at home.

a. I purchased an exercise bike, and it is set up in a pleasant location. I will listen to podcasts as I pedal away. This exercise will be great for my knees.
b. Join an on-line video class at least once a week
c. Do strength training at home at least twice a week. I find this habit easier to maintain if I am doing it with music or television in the background. I have light weights, exercise bands, yoga strap and mat all in the cabinet under the TV.
d. Yoga at least 3 times a week. I like to do this at night with relaxing new age or classical music playing. It helps me sleep better compared to my prior habit of watching the late night news.
e. House cleaning chores can be made aerobic. Just do the sweeping/mopping/dusting/vacuu
ming fast enough to raise my pulse
f. Add incremental exercise. Instead of flipping the channel during commercials, walk up and down the hall, or use the exercise bike. (There is usually 12-14 minutes of commercials during a one hour program; if I watch for two hours, that’s a total of 24-28 extra minutes of movement)

2. Outdoor exercise at least twice a week
a. Snow shoe. Or hike using YakTrax if necessary (YakTrax are like tire chains for your shoes)
b. Outdoor chores such as raking pine needles and the very aerobic activity of shoveling snow
c. I will try skiing, at least on the flatter trails.
d. hike whenever possible

What strategies will you use to stay fit through the winter?