Tips for Staying Active this Winter

Are you feeling bored with your exercise routine?

Or perhaps unmotivated to even start one?

When it comes to maintaining an active lifestyle, the key is to enjoy the activity!

If you are not happy forcing yourself to the gym to lift weights or doing the same couple of exercises day after day, maybe it is time to check out some new classes or types of exercise.

An important factor to also remember is that working out longer is not necessarily better. When time allows, of course spend more time be active, however, if you are not working out at all because of how busy you are, know that even 10-15mins of activity is better than no activity.

Depending on the type of activity, that 15 minutes work-out could even be more beneficial than an hour on the treadmill for example. For making the most out of shorter work-outs look into HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. These are short bursts of high intensity exercises followed by a short rest and then repeated with different exercises.

Youtube is great for finding fun workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home. There are also many DVDs or online programs you can buy for working out at home.

If you are more into going to a class or gym to work out, some of my favourite new types of workouts include:

• Spin Classes: These are so fun! You are on a bike in a dark room with loud energizing music to keep you going, the hour literally flies by. If you are in Vancouver check out Spin Society and Eastwood Cycle.
• Barre Classes: It feels like a combination of ballet, pilates, and yoga. It is not too intense, you can kind of modify the intensity by the weights you use. I know there are more and more studios opening, so far I have been to Barre Fitness in Yaletown and loved it!
• Dance Classes: From Zumba to Bollywood to Hip Hop, dance classes are very fun and exciting ways to stay active. I recently checked out the Dancer Body Bootcamp class at iDance Studio and really enjoyed it. 
• Hot Yoga: This may be my favourite type of class during these cold winter months. I really enjoy the hot yoga classes that are more like a power or flow yoga rather than some of the bootcamp style studios. Moksha Yoga and West Coast Hot Yoga offer some really great classes.

Remember, an active life means a healthy and happy life. If you are feeling unmotivated or uninspired check out something new, you never know what you may end up loving!

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