Nutritionists from the University of Maryland Medical System regularly contribute a guest post to The Sun's Picture of Health (baltimoresun.com/pictureofhealth).
It's that time of year when everyone wants to resolve to lead a healthier, fit lifestyle, but it seems almost impossible to throw off the warm blankets to get out and do something about it. Here are some tips, for both adults and children, to help the whole family get up and out to enjoy some physical activity.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, adults should perform a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate, physical activity each day. Fitting in that 30 minutes seems more reasonable during the warmer months, when outdoor activities are plentiful. Don't let the dark and gloomy cold get you down and keep you out of the game. By incorporating more activity into your day you can still be active while staying indoors. Taking the stairs whenever possible is a great way to increase indoor active time without a gym. If you do have a gym membership, use it. Bringing your workout clothes with you to work provides extra motivation to go to the gym instead of sneaking into those covers after work.
If the long, dark days are prematurely depleting your energy levels after the work day, grab a cup of coffee to not only warm you up but provide a caffeine-based energy boost to help kick-start your workout. Concerned about missing your favorite show while at the gym? Bring it with you. Using your phone or tablet, stream your show while on a cardio device like the elliptical or stair climber. If you do not have streaming access, many gyms now have machines with cable TV monitors attached. Free TV and a good sweat is a win-win.
As important as it is for adults to remain active, it is twice as important for children. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends a minimum of 60 minutes per day of physical activity for children and teens. Getting kids away from the screen and out playing can be difficult. To incorporate both, have your children run around or play a game when commercials come on. The floor could turn into lava, and everyone must run and jump around or have a contest to see how many chores they can do during the breaks. If that doesn't get your child motivated to play, bring in reinforcements. Getting kids together in a group for playdates will spur them to be more active and have fun. Just because its chilly or even snowing outside doesn't mean they have to stay in. Building snowmen, making snow angels, having a snowball fight, ice skating and sledding are all fun ways to burn off those holiday treats.
Key things to remember when performing physical activity in the cold weather are to wear an appropriate amount of layers, warm up indoors before going outside, and stay hydrated. Although it's cold, when you are exercising you still sweat and will need to replenish the losses with 3-8 ounces of water for every 15-20 minutes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Now let's all get up, get out and show winter who's boss.