Time to Get In Shape!

It's a brand new year. Hello, 2010! January always has us thinking about New Year's Resolutions and also about all the unhealthy food we just ate during the holidays. It is also a time for cold, nasty weather.Unless you have a membership to a gym it is more difficult to get out an exercise during the winter. Even if you do have a membership to a gym who really wants to get up at five in the morning when it is still dark and below freezing outside to drive across town.The weather is definitely a struggle for me. Until the temperature started dropping I was running on a pretty regular basis. Now that the temperatures are struggling to get above freezing I have found myself slacking off. So, for those of you who are feeling the same I thought I would post a couple of ideas on things you can do around the house to help get you back in shape after eating all those Christmas goodies. 


1. Find a good work out DVD. It is easy to just pop in a DVD and get a good 45-60 minute workout in. I have a little boy so as soon as I put him to bed i pop one in and go to work. It also gives my husband some time to play around on the computer while I am sweating away in the living room. 


2. Invest in some hand held weights/dumbells. Hand weights are great to have around the house. It is easy to just pick them up and do some strength training right in the comfort of your own home. You can even keep them beside your couch and pick them up during commercials to do a few reps. Just today I was at target and found that they had 2lb dumbells for $2.50 a piece. 2lb weights are great place to start! Next, invest in a good fitness ball-this way you can combine the weights and the fitness ball to get a great workout while you are watching your favorite TV shows. 


3. Spring Cleaning. Start your spring cleaning early this year. Sweeping, Mopping, and scrubbing are all ways to burn a few extra calories around the house. If you are working hard enough to work up a sweat then you are doing a good job. If you can vigorously clean your house for an hour, depending on your weight, you could burn up to 350 calories. Not bad!  Not only will you get back in shape, but you will also have sparkling, clean house! 


4. Circuit Training. I believe that circuit training is an excellent way to get into shape and very easy to do in the comfort of your own home. Circuit Training is a combination of aerobics and strength training. Circuit training is great because you can customize the circuit to YOUR level of fitness. A good circuit will work all sections of the body at different times-Arm, Abs, and Legs. You can start off easy and then week by week increase the difficulty. You will truly be able to see results! In the future I am going to post some of my own circuit training ideas, but for now I want to give you a link to some good info on how to begin your circuit training immediately! 


Try THIS routine to start off. Notice that this routine includes the hand weights and fitness ball that I talked about earlier(wink,wink). You can also use this site at Brian Mac Sports Coach to incorporate different exercises into your circuit. 


So, now that all the Christmas cookies have been eaten and the parties are over it's time to get busy! Don't forget that getting fit needs to become a lifestyle change and not just a fad. Work it into your weekly routine and pretty soon it won't even feel like work anymore (at least that's what I keep trying to tell myself :)). Happy New Year!!!