Miserable winter

angiemango
angiemango Posts: 22 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I started a regime of walking for 1+ hours at least 3 times a week, often more, as well as some sporadic aerobics and weight training thrown in randomly maybe once a week. It worked for me for three months along with strict diet to bring me down a few kilos. I found the walking not only helpful in maintaining weight loss (or stopping me from gaining, depending on how you look at it) but really enjoyed the social aspect of it, getting out of the house, being at one with nature, nodding and smiling at other walkers/runners.

But now it's winter and the weather's been absolutely miserable. I need to really motivate myself to get out there in this weather; I also need to buy a light raincoat and some boots I guess as well as an umbrella. I've tried Just Dance on the wii but have found that once I dance to the songs a few times I'm thoroughly sick of them. I also find wii fit a bit boring now. And I can't afford to buy a treadmill unfortunately.

I was just wondering for anyone out there who like me really enjoys walking and light exercise as opposed to running and aerobics, do you have any suggestions for alternative activities I could be doing until the weather settles down a bit outside? Any advice would be appreciated.

Replies

  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Do you have a smart phone? SworkIt app is amazing for at home cardio that requires no equipment!

    As well, there are plenty of at home workout videos you can use such as 30 Day Shred, etc!

    ETA: I hear you about winter. We are finally just done it now here, and it's been like 2849032849023 months of snowy cold! Just need to find what works for you.
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    When I was pregnant I gave up kick boxing and weight training (low at that point) for walking. It was a personal choice I'm not dogging on women who continue with their sports.

    I walked outside...to Taco Bell. You might want to skip Taco Bell, but I was preggos at the time :laugh:

    I walked around the mall, fantasizing about wearing cute clothes after the birth of my 10lb. son. Normally, I hate the mall so it must have been those crazy hormones.

    I have joined a community center here in TX where summers are quite different from my hometown of LA. They have an elevated walk/run track. It's a great idea! People attempting to walk outside here in the summer might just melt into a pile of goo. Winters are mild so you won't freeze into a chunk of ice/slip and fall on your butt.

    I know of folks who walk up and down the staircases of tall buildings (as allowed and all that) for exercise that's a challenge!
    Good luck!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    try fitnessblender.com for workouts you can do inside...some are hard..some not so much...
  • angiemango
    angiemango Posts: 22 Member
    Thanks jkwolly I'll definitely give it a try =) Yeah it's only been like a week of dreary weather so far and already feeling it. Happy to hear yours is over though!

    PJPrimrose: Haha luckily there's no taco bell here but I did often walk past a KFC. It was pretty tough. Oh wow indoor walking you mean? That sounds ideal but yeah I don't think there's anything like that here. But the idea of walking up tall buildings sounds like it might be okay, so long as I do it slowly. Thanks =)

    Thanks Sezxy Stef I'll give that a go too. Sounds like there a lot of apps on the market now to cater to us which is good.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    try fitnessblender.com for workouts you can do inside...some are hard..some not so much...

    is your username Sez XY Stef? how do you pronounce that? Is it something to do with XY?
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
    There may be indoor walking tracks in your area. A lot of high schools and community centers open them up for free, as long as there isn't a track meet going on.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Oh, yeah, you are on the opposite side of the planet.
    Video game workouts are really tough on knees(at least for me).
    Do you have a YMCA near you? They charge on a sliding scale, so you only pay what you can afford.
  • whoafalloutboyisawesome
    whoafalloutboyisawesome Posts: 2
    Theres a lot of workout videos on youtube. Xhit Daily is probably my favorite.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I love walking too, so I'm interested in what others recommend.

    Since I'm northern hemisphere I've just started my walking again, but this winter was tough. Generally, I walk in anything except ice and snow, since I really don't want to slip and damage myself. I invested in a really good rain jacket (the type serious hikers wear), with a decent hood to keep the rain out of my face, and a high quality breathable fabric. I've found that has extended my walking season quite a lot, although when it got bad, I found shoveling tons of snow was an adequate replacement.

    This coming winter I'll join a gym and maybe get myself into shape enough to try running next year, so I can use the winter as an opportunity to improve my condition rather than something I just have to get through.
  • twinteensmom
    twinteensmom Posts: 371 Member
    I also live in the North. Vermont, actually. I have about 4 or 5 of Leslie Sansone's DVDs. I just love them. They are walking mostly with a few other moves thrown in. Very easy and very good exercise. I usually log them under aerobics but, you could also log them under walking. I highly recommend them.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    Leslie Sansone.
  • sandiebro
    sandiebro Posts: 31 Member
    Leslie Sansone is on Youtube - worth a look.
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
    Thanks jkwolly I'll definitely give it a try =) Yeah it's only been like a week of dreary weather so far and already feeling it. Happy to hear yours is over though!

    PJPrimrose: Haha luckily there's no taco bell here but I did often walk past a KFC. It was pretty tough. Oh wow indoor walking you mean? That sounds ideal but yeah I don't think there's anything like that here. But the idea of walking up tall buildings sounds like it might be okay, so long as I do it slowly. Thanks =)

    Thanks Sezxy Stef I'll give that a go too. Sounds like there a lot of apps on the market now to cater to us which is good.

    Sometimes universities have indoor tracks that they allow people to use or pay a small fee.
  • sprintto50
    sprintto50 Posts: 410 Member
    I also recommend Leslie Sansone videos on You Tube. There are several there and I actually bought a few newer DVDs so I can keep mixing up the workouts. There was no going outside in northern Canada last winter and Leslie saved my rear (from expanding!)
  • disneygallagirl
    disneygallagirl Posts: 515 Member
    yup on Leslie Sansone....you can get these JUST WALK dvds very reasonable at Walmart and I have even seen some at Costco.
  • PippiNe
    PippiNe Posts: 283 Member
    Do you have an indoor mall nearby? Around here, winter walkers just do laps around the mall. Our local mall even unlocks the main doors before the shops open just for walkers. Worth checking into. Also, ditto the indoor track at a local university. Good luck :o)
  • ccf_trainer
    ccf_trainer Posts: 86 Member
    All it takes is to just do it. You don't need to buy a treadmill. My advice is to find a gym. There are so many gyms out there that have so many treadmills, all you have to do is pick and choose the best one that suits YOUR needs.
  • gopgirl425
    gopgirl425 Posts: 140 Member
    Leslie Sansone.

    ^^ agreed...I like her videos when I want to add some steps to make my Fitbit count
  • angiemango
    angiemango Posts: 22 Member
    Wow overwhelming response recommending Leslie Sansone - consider it done =) And thanks for the advice.

    YMCA definitely worth a look into.
    Re the mall wow I never knew that was an option but next time I'm there I'll ask the information desk and see what they say.
    And tougher rain coat and possibly just grinning and bearing it is also an option, though I can't see myself doing that every day!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Are there any indoor tracks to walk in? Colleges? Community rec centers? High schools? Malls? When I'm traveling I even walk up and down the stairway at my hotels.

    And there's SWIMMING.
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
    I was just wondering for anyone out there who like me really enjoys walking and light exercise as opposed to running and aerobics, do you have any suggestions for alternative activities I could be doing until the weather settles down a bit outside? Any advice would be appreciated.

    I used to play sports but now I almost exclusively walk. I've just started walking and then before you know it I've walked ten miles in a day because I decided to just keep going. Ha. I understand what you mean about the winter---in addition to the snow, my body does not react kindly to it. The cold just does a number on my body and I'm in a lot of pain, muscles feel all kinds of uncomfortable, etc.

    I actually just bought some hand weights so I could maybe do some things in the house. There are some videos on YouTube that I'd like to play on my TV and try to work out to. I've tried using Wii stuff but the DVDs are awful.
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
    Don't sign up to a gym if you don't feel like it, you might never go and have wasted good money! that's what I did last year...
    Home videos might be better though boring...

    BTW, I don't do much exercise at all - walk a bit to work and back, cycle a bit. Those can be done in winter except when it snows. and I lost over 20 pounds and hav now kept them off for more than 4 months.

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