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It can be very difficult to exercise during the winter. Not only will you have to deal with particularly bad weather, you will have to deal with low spirits and motivation as the gloomy skies close in.

One of the most difficult things to fight against when you are trying to develop habit of exercising is a lack of motivation. In addition to lack of motivation and bad weather, the days are shorter so it may feel like there is less time to work in a exercise routine.

For some, these things are not a challenge at all because with the winter weather come winter sports, which are their favorite. Skiing, snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, and ice skating are all great ways to mix up your normal exercise routine and work in some exercise during the winter.

This can help some people overcome their lack of motivation to exercise due to boredom. Many people are not willing to deal with the challenge of bad weather and choose to exercise indoors in the same location every day.

After a few weeks, the boredom of seeing the same wall and doing the same repetitive exercise can really wear on you. While it is important that you make it as easy as possible to perform workouts so that your motivation does not get worn down by the struggle of going to exercise, you must make sure that you maintain interest in exercising.

There are several things you can do during the winter to protect your interest in exercising and to increase your motivation to exercise. One of the major components of winter weather that many people fight against is the cold.

You may want to consider putting your exercise clothing in the dryer for a few minutes before you exercise. Not only will this help you get out of the bed in the morning, but it will be easier for your body to warm up in the cold weather with warm clothes on.

Even though it may be difficult to warm up properly in the winter, it is still vitally important. In the cold winter weather, it can be quite easy for your muscles to tighten up.

When this happens, it is quite easy to pull a muscle or injure yourself. Not only would this be painful, but it could completely halt your efforts to exercise.

Warming up is particularly important in the winter and you should make sure that you complete thorough warming up exercises. In warmer weather, it may be possible to get away with only doing a short and partially complete warm up.

However, in the cold winter weather you do not want to take this risk as you may be fighting the cold throughout your entire workout. It is also important to consider what kinds of warm up activities are best to do during the winter.

While stretching may be effective during the summer, your muscles are going to stay cold by only stretching during the winter. During this cold season you are going to want to perform warm up activities that are more active.

For example, you may want to briskly walk for several hundred yards before you begin running. Be sure to listen to your body.

If it is not warm yet, then do not begin the full form of exercise. If you find that you are having trouble warming up fully before exercising, you may want to try warming up indoors.

However, if you choose to warm up indoors, you will want to avoid breaking out in a sweat. If you break out in a sweat and then go outside, the sweat will make you feel colder.

After your workout you will probably want to reward yourself with a hot shower. Some people find that they like to take a quick warm shower before they begin exercising to help them warm up.

This is particularly effective in the morning as the hot shower can help to wake you up. Allowing yourself time to make the transition from bed to exercise instead of hopping out of bed and running outside can make exercising much pleasanter.

Of course, it is much more pleasant to exercise outside if you are mindful of what you wear as well. Short shorts and a tank top are not going to protect you from the elements.

You will still want to wear flexible clothing that will allow you to move easily, but it should cover your skin and protect you from harsh winter winds. This kind of clothing will also help conserve the heat your body produces from exercising and it will be able to keep you warmer.

One of the most common questions gym instructors are asked is; what are the most effective weight loss exercises?

Excess weight is gained when we consume more energy, in the form of calories, than we use up. The excess is then stored as fat! The only way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than the body burns. Your body will be forced to use the excess fat to meet its energy needs.

Of course, the most obvious way of doing this is to eat less, but if you combine this with calorie-burning exercise you will shift that excess flab much quicker and easier.

The best calorie burning and weight loss exercises are aerobic, or cardiovascular, workouts. This works large muscle groups, such as the glutes, abdominals, and quadriceps, plus upper and lower back muscles. It also causes the heart and lungs to work harder to satisfy the body’s increased need for oxygen.

The body tends to switch to fat burning mode after 20 minutes of continuous, fairly low intensity exercise, so try to make your workouts last for more than 20 minutes at a time.

For effective fat burning, you should be out of breath but still able to hold a conversation.

Good cardiovascular exercises include

Walking; walking is easy, gentle, and can usually be fitted into your daily routine. Start with short, easy walks and gradually build up, especially if you haven’t exercised for some time. Try to build up to walking at least 30 minutes five times per week. Make sure you have a good pair of shoes which offer you enough support.

Running; running can burn a large number of calories in a relatively short space of time, and can be a very effective way to lose weight.

If you are not used to running, or have quite a lot of weight to lose, build up slowly by alternating running short distances and walking, gradually building up the length of time you are running.

If you run 20- 25 minutes three times per week, you will soon see the benefits. Don’t try to increase your weekly mileage too suddenly as you may injure yourself. If you want to start running, a proper pair of running shoes is essential; good sports stores will analyze your gait and advise you on the best shoes to suit your running style.

Swimming; swimming is excellent exercise, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose or have an injury, as your body weight is completely supported by the water. Again, start slowly and gradually increase the distance you swim.

Cardio equipment; this is usually found in the gym, and includes treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bikes, steppers and rowing machines. Any of these offer a good cardiovascular workout, and most have difficulty settings so you can increase the intensity of your workouts as your fitness increases.

Elliptical trainers and rowing machines allow you to work your upper body as well as your lower body. If you don’t fancy joining a gym, you can buy cardiovascular equipment for use at home.

Gyms also offer exercise classes which offer a cardiovascular workout- you can try anything from step classes to water aerobics! Many classes combine cardio work with toning and strength training.

It is a good idea to include strength training into your exercise routine. This will improve muscle endurance and strength, and make your body more injury resistant. Don’t think you have to bulk up like Arnie Schwarzenegger though! Strength training will tone muscles and improve your overall body shape.

It is a well known fact that muscle requires more energy to function than fat; strength training will increase your muscle mass and raise your metabolism so that you will be burning more calories per day.

Your gym should have a good range of strength training equipment- ask a qualified instructor to show you how to use it. If you prefer to exercise at home, a set of weights can be purchased quite cheaply. Make sure you know how to use them properly, and don’t try to start off with weights that are too heavy for you.

If you are willing to put the work in to your weight loss exercises regime, combining cardio work with some strength training, you will soon reap the rewards in the form of a healthy, fit, slim and well toned body.

One of the most widely used distractions while exercising is music. Music can help you forget the pain and enjoy exercising much more.

Studies have shown that it does not really matter what artists your listen to, simply listening can improve your levels of commitment, fitness, and enjoyment. They have also shown that people will work harder during their work out without realizing it when they listen to music.

As a result, people who listen to music while exercising tend to lose more weight and continue to exercise longer. Some people like to put specific types of music to specific types of exercise, but it really does not matter as long as you enjoy it.

Be sure to take advantage of the hundreds of thousands of songs offered through download through various companies. Select a whole bunch of songs you like and feel you could exercise to and create a playlist for the gym.

Keep adding songs, taking away songs, and manipulating the list so that the music does not get old. In addition, invest in a music playing device that is comfortable for you to wear and use while exercising.

Do not go for the old, clunky tape players. Instead purchase a light MP3 player that can be strapped to your arm.

This will be much more comfortable for you to wear while you are exercising. You may even be able to forget about it.

Do not be afraid to listen to your own music. You are listening for your own enjoyment, not so you can say you listen to popular music.

Do not be cowed by others into listening to other types of music you do not enjoy as they will not motivate you as much. You are the only one who is going to listen to your playlist, so put what you like on there.

While you are choosing songs you like, try to choose songs you like that have sort of beat or rhythm. This does not mean that it has to be heavy metal.

Studies have found that most people will match their pace to the beat of the song they are listening to. If you want to get a good work out or work hard, it is best to listen to songs that have a faster rhythm.

Even if you love softer, mellower songs, add them to the playlist for stretching and flexibility exercises. You may find that you think a song is going to be a good exercising song, but then when you try it out, it is too slow or boring.

Some songs are simply going to need to be tested out before you can tell if it will be a good song or not. In addition, you may want to carefully pay attention to how your pace changes when you listen to certain types of songs.

Some people are not as prone to changing their pace when slow music comes on. If you are one of these lucky people you can listen to anything you want without worrying about it.

As you pay attention to your pace, you will be able to determine when you become mentally weaker. For example, you may find that you need something lively every three to five songs because you tend to want to slow down after about that long.

When you realize what your weak spots are, you can take steps to prevent succumbing to them. You may also want to tack some really motivating songs on to the end for when you are really tired and trying to convince yourself not to get off the machine early.

In addition, you do not want to be messing with your music while you exercise. This will take away from your experience there because you will not get a good work out.

Instead, try to create the playlist you want to listen to before you go to the gym. This will save time and make your work out much more effective.

Over time you may find that you are getting bored of the music you have. When this happens you will need to branch out and find new artists or groups to listen to.

You can often listen to music clips before you purchase the song. This will help you spend your money on music that you will really like.

Of course, it is also very important that you do not listen to music that is too loud. When music is too loud it will damage your ears and make it so that you will not be able to listen while you exercise.

One of the reasons why many people do not work out as often as they should is that they do not get the benefit from exercising that they expected to get when they do exercise regularly. This is partly because everyone has a different body type, body size, metabolism, and eating habits.

When a person looks for an exercise program online, he or she may not find a program that is designed for his or her body type and eating habits. As a result, when he or she begins to work out and follow this online program, he or she will not lose as much weight as hoped or become as strong as hoped.

Other people find that the recommended exercise routine is simply too hard. One of the things that can make exercising hard is if you are carrying extra weight.

Fortunately, most men and women at almost any size can be active and change their lifestyles in order to lose this extra weight. Obesity, or even simply being overweight, can hinder your ability to do many things that you enjoy.

It can also put you at a higher risk of developing certain diseases and of experiencing complications when entering surgery. The first step to developing a regular exercise routine, even if you are not overweight, is to believe that you can do it.

The second thing that needs to be realized is that exercising in order to reach a goal is often a long term process that takes more time and effort than you may realize. Many people think of exercise as a short term fix option, when it is not.

As a result, when they begin exercising they realize that it is going to take much more time and effort than they thought and they become discouraged. However, it is important to focus on the little things and to know that even small efforts and your daily routine will help you work towards your goal, even if you do not see any immediate results.

Exercising can provide you with a variety of benefits that are not limited to the physical. While it can help you become stronger, faster, fitter, thinner, more flexible and so forth, it also provides many other benefits.

Exercising can help you feel more energetic throughout the day and sleep better at night. It can also improve your self confidence and self esteem, which may in turn improve your success in various activities.

Working out has also been known to be able to reduce the symptoms of depression in some people. There are many other benefits that exercising offers to many people.

However, in order for exercising to be effective for you, you will have to find out what kind of an exercise program will work for you. The most effective workout routine for you can most easily be discovered by talking to a professional trainer.

A professional trainer can analyze your situation and discuss your options and what you need to do. However, there are some general guidelines you can try.

These guidelines may or may not work effectively for you. If you are in the healthy weight range, one of your goals is probably to avoid gaining weight and leaving this weight range.

For most healthy people, this will involve a good cardiovascular workout and a strength training program. Of course, you must also eat a healthy and well balanced diet or exercising will not prevent your weight gain.

In general, you should perform your cardiovascular activity for 30 to 45 minutes three to five times a week. The strength training part of your program is important to help prevent the muscle loss that naturally occurs as you begin to age.

Your personal trainer may also be able to help you determine how many calories you should eat combined with the workout program. However, if you are overweight one of your primary goals will probably be to lose weight.

Even if genetics are a part of why you are overweight, exercise can help you control your weight. The most effective programs for overweight people, in general, include an aerobic cross-training program.

You will also need to be careful to eat healthy foods. When you are trying to lose weight you will need to use more calories than you consume.

No matter how much you exercise or how healthy you eat, you will not lose weight unless you eat less than you use. Even healthy food can get stored as fat if you eat more than you need.

If you are obese, your primary goal should be to lose weight when exercising as you are at a much higher risk for developing many diseases. It is important to know that you can still exercise even if you are obese even though it is much harder.

In the beginning you may need to start with half an hour of an activity that is not too robust. As you become stronger you may be able to do more active activities.

Just as healthy eating is important, exercising is equally essential to keeping yourself physically fit. Apart from burning calories, exercising will help to tone and build muscles and improve blood circulation. Many common ailments, such as back aches, can also be avoided by regular exercising. The best exercises will have a cardio as well as a toning aspect, which make the results visible faster.

Best Calorie Burning Exercises

Here are some exercises that will help you burn calories faster and lose weight quicker:

Step Aerobics: These exercises burn about 800 calories an hour. It targets mainly the hips and the legs and helps to tone these muscles. Doing these step aerobic exercises for an hour daily will ensure that results become visible within two weeks. You can split the one-hour long workout into two half-hour sessions.
Bicycling: Depending on how fast you cycle, you can burn anywhere between 500 to 1000 calories per hour. Riding a bicycle outdoors is always pleasant, but if there are time constraints, you can opt for a good quality exercising bicycle. This is possibly the best calorie buster as it is the easiest exercise.
Swimming: This is again one of the best calorie burning exercises, burning up to 800 calories an hour. The best part is that it gives the whole body a complete workout.
Rowing: Rowing is a wonderful way to burn calories and tone your arms. You can burn about 500 to 600 calories in an hour. Join your local rowing club, where you can row for free or try out the rowing machine in your gym.
Elliptical Burner: This is a brilliant exercise as it gives a complete cardio workout. It burns about 600 calories in an hour and helps to tone the stomach and build muscles. You can split the one hour workout into ten minute bursts spread over the day.
Walking: Brisk walking apart from being a great cardio exercise also helps to tone hips, the stomach and legs. You can burn up to 360 calories an hour by just taking a brisk walk. Walking across hills, walking uphill or sprinting will increase the number of calories burnt. Moreover, walking can easily fit into your daily schedule and you don’t even need to buy any equipment.

 

GNGH has more than a decade’s experience in motivating and helping people attain their health and weight loss goals. Visit GNGH for more information on how you can enrich your health.

 

Some people enjoy exercise just because it is exercise; they do not think deeply about why they enjoy it so much. They just know that it is enjoyable and that it makes them feel good.

Much research has been carried out as to why exercise makes you feel good. Scientific research has proven that when you exercise your brain releases endorphins which provide a feel good factor.

Even walking on a tread mill in a gym has been shown to lift your mood and assist in combating depression. Personally, I find this type of exercise quite boring, and I’m sure many of you are with me on this. But even if you find it boring, it is undeniable that exercise does lift your mood.

Many people become quite addicted to exercise for this reason and also because exercise is linked to a boost in self esteem. You feel more confident and have a greater sense of achievement.

Exercise is in fact one of the simplest ways in which you can work to build your self-esteem. You feel good about yourself when you set yourself a task and subsequently complete that task. What could be easier than setting yourself a goal of going for a walk and then doing it?

Exercise of any description undeniably lifts your mood and increases your self-esteem. These effects are enhanced of course when the exercise that you are doing is something which you like to do. You might like to play tennis, or swim, do some gardening or walk the dog. All exercise is beneficial.

I like to play golf. For me golf has a huge number of plusses. I enjoy the walk, be it alone or with fellow golfers, and I also like the mental challenges which the game itself provides. But most of all I love being in a place of beauty, and golf courses do tend to be beautiful.

I love the smell of the grass and the trees, the colors of the flowers, the criss-cross patterns on the fairways when they have just been cut, the water and the wild-life. I love being outside and in touch with nature.

Being outside in a place which is natural in itself is a mood enhancer. This too has been proven in scientific research. It makes good sense that there would be added benefit when you combine the two. We know that 2+2=4.

Exercise + nature = Green exercise

Green exercise is the term coined for exercise which is carried out when in the presence of nature. There has been some recent research into this subject (Jo Barton, Jules Pretty. What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology, 2010) which shows that there is indeed an increased or added benefit in terms of mood and self-esteem. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this research is that the boost in both mood and self-esteem occurred within a very short time frame – just 5 minutes.

And so we now know that we can boost our self-esteem and lift our mood in as little as five minutes by doing something as simple as taking a walk in a place which is green and natural. That should be a great motivator to us all to get out and exercise. There was another interesting finding; being near water as well as green leaves and grass could benefit us even more. No wonder I love golf courses so much!

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis mp3s for self-esteem, exercise motivation and golf mind training.

P.S. Are you curious about the many ways in which hypnosis can help you? Grab a free hypnosis mp3 from my website.