07-walkgrp.jpg  Is the current wintery weather deterring you from going out for your usual brisk run or walk? Do you find that the icy cold days somehow seem to keep you freeze you in at home and keep you from the gym?

It's in these crucial cold months that many of us find the winter blues somehow blow in sweeping away our usual routines and replacing them with hot cocoas and broken promises (mainly to ourselves!). Motivation that's easily found when beach weather is upon us seems smothered under our many layers of thermals and winter woollies.

So how do we keep on at the hampster wheel of health when the duvet and DVD is calling so temptingly?  
If you've lost interest in your usual same-old same-old routine, why not try something completely different, short and achieveable to re motivate?

Even a twenty minute daily investment into your fitness will deliver results if you put in effort and an effective plan in place first. A short but intense burst of exercise is just right for snapping out of winter lethargy without seeming to be too daunting an undertaking!

For example, try my simple 5x1 workout which is a routine based on 5 exercises that are performed for 1 minute each, and then repeated up to four times or more.

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1. Squats- use a chair for beginners, for the advanced Jump Squats
2. Press-ups- nothing beats them! Advanced level: Feet raised
3. Star-jumps
4. Crossover or 'cycle'  Crunches. Breathing as you twist!
5. Burpees- beginners, use slow pace, advanced level add a jump at the end

*(Of course it's recommended that you warm up and stretch if you haven't already)

This short but sharp workout is guaranteed to wake you up, reinvigorate and work all the major muscles in your body, but remember if you can't perform the exercise for a full minute, don't despair- simply perform more slowly or keep going as soon as you catch your breath, however there should be no long stops! The idea of a circuit like this is to raise your heart-rate, which we achieve by moving continuously and besides, there's plenty of time to rest when you're finished!

The most important part of what you'll achieve is not just physical, a mental refreshment is always just as valuable to the exerciser.  After all for some of us, the 'winter blues' are unfortunately not just a catch-phrase. Some seasons may bring about mood swings in people who are susceptible to depression. The cold seasons of autumn and winter usually usher in a condition called seasonal affective disorder or winter depression.

The official recommendation for this is to get more sunlight and, (of course) exercise regularly. Exercise can release feel-good brain chemicals called serotonin in your brain. Physical activities you can do to overcome depression include brisk walking, running, cycling and aerobic activity. 
With the addition of a few pieces of very basic equipment, like a skipping rope, dumbbells or a Swiss-ball, you could have yourself a very beneficial and energetic routine right in the comfort of your own home.

If you're not experienced enough to go it alone, enlist qualified help with your efforts and for those seasoned gym-goers, perhaps give this a go instead of the usual cycle or treadmill and dust out those winter cobwebs til next year!

Sarah Parr
24 August 11
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check out Sarah's site www.innergo.co.nz
 
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