The sun sets early, cold, blustery winds sting our faces, and snow underfoot slows down our jogs. So how are we supposed to get exercise during the winter? Luckily frigid temperatures can’t stop us from working out in our apartments. It’s important to stay active during the winter months to keep a healthy immune system, release endorphins to improve mood (we’re looking at you, seasonal depression), and lose weight. Let’s look at a few effective workouts you can do from your apartment.
Yoga
Yoga is perfect. Nearly anyone can do it, regardless of fitness level or age, and it doesn’t need heavy equipment or take up a ton of space. You can find plenty of free videos on YouTube if you’re a beginner to do at your own pace, and you can practice from the safety of your apartment.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are another excellent workout that can be adapted for any fitness level, require no equipment, and target multiple muscle groups. To do a proper pushup, keep your arms shoulder-width apart and in the prone position. Raise your body with your arms, and keep your back straight.
To adapt the push-up for various fitness levels, you can do a push-up from your knees.
Body Weight Squats
Squats are to the lower body what push-ups are to the upper body—which is to say an excellent, all-around strength and fitness building technique that requires nothing but your body. To begin, stand shoulder-width apart. Flex your knees and hips and sit back with your hips, lowering yourself in a squatting position. Return to the starting position while keeping your back straight.
Jumping Jacks
Getting tired of sitting on the couch watching TV? Hop up and do 30 seconds of jumping jacks. It’s the perfect way to get a little cardio in without taking up an entire day.
Jump Rope
Have you tried jump rope since you were a little kid? It’s not as easy as it looks, but it can be a good way to get cardio without leaving your home. Within 5 minutes, you’ll be out of breath and your legs will be burning. It’s an extremely time-effective way of getting into shape.
Planking
For most of us, abdominal exercises aren’t very fun, and we want to get from start to finish as quickly as possible. Planking builds core muscles in a short amount of time, and it can be done every day. Get into a push-up position and rest your body on your elbows and feet. Try it until your abs give out, which may be as quickly as 30 seconds, and add additional time as you build strength.
Dancing
Getting down to the beat has never been a better option. If you find yourself bored with bicep curls, perplexed by planks, done with dips, or yawning during yoga, dancing might be for you. It burns a ton of calories, can be done with a partner, has new moves to learn, can be done with no equipment in an apartment, and is fun.
Spin sessions
Spinning is an excellent alternative if you love cycling and does wonders for your leg and thigh muscles. A spin session is also a tremendous high-intensity workout and can be made fun by playing some music that can help you step it up and down with the beat as you go along. The Best spin bike will not take a lot of space up in your apartment and will be the perfect cardio workout when you need something to accelerate your heart rate a bit. If you’re someone who would like to add some shape to your legs and strengthen your lower body muscles in a fun and efficient way, then a spin bike might just be the answer you’ve been looking for.
This article was sponsored by Link Apartments® Brookstown, a luxury apartment community located in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
