Right now you might be feeling cooped up and stuck at home. We’ve got freezing cold temperatures, unpredictable rain, snow and short days, leaving us in darkness. It’s hard to enjoy nature all the time in these conditions, which makes it hard to get out and exercise. When we do go out, you might bundle up warm and have a brisk walk or play in the playground, then head home for a much needed cup of tea. But there are still plenty of ways you can keep warm both in the home and out. Cold temperatures and inactivity can have an adverse impact on your body’s ability to fight off infections and viruses. By staying active, you get to help yourself, and your loved ones stay healthy during the winter. But before you get started, make sure you’re fit and healthy. If you have any health problems, you should talk to a doctor, which you can do online or over the phone these days, and make sure you get any online prescriptions that you need.
Ready to get warm, stay healthy, exercise and have fun? Read on!
Indoor Activities to Keep Your Loved Ones Warm
Staying active is a significant part of your loved ones’ general health, especially for growing children. Being frequently active improves their physical health, and offers emotional and cognitive benefits. But getting the whole family to exercise can be a bit of a chore, so here are some ideas to make it easier and more fun.
- Make time to play
If you have kids, make sure to set aside at least thirty minutes to do some fun activities with them. The activities you choose will depend on the age of the kids. If the kids are young, you probably won’t have to work too hard to get them to move. A game of chase or hide and seek usually works a treat with my three year old. We’ve also got a climbing triangle, stepping stones and connectable balance beam. These can be used indoor or out, and help exercise as well as balance and muscle.
Older children might lack the motivation and require a bit more finesse, but how about a game that connects to a game console or the TV, like Wii Fit, Just Dance or the Nintendo Switch Ring Fit? Or you could even consider a VR system. Tech and video games can encourage fitness too.
- Try workout videos
If you want to keep the workout activities between your loved ones or you don’t want to get outside, consider trying workout videos. There are numerous selections of workout videos for people of all ages. Many fitness professionals have created their own fitness videos to help you get fit during winter – we’ve been watching Joe Wicks with his morning P.E. sessions. But you are bound to find something on YouTube to suit the whole family, and it’s free, so why not? Clear a space and get moving.
- Skipping rope exercise
There are numerous benefits of skipping with your loved ones. Jumping rope exercises can help get your loved ones fit. There are plenty of skipping ropes available that are suitable for indoor use as long as you can clear a space to use it. You can even get digital skipping ropes for under £15 on Amazon that count how many skips you’ve done – which could add a bit of challenge and competition to the mix!
Skipping ropes have the following benefits:
- Strengthens the bones
- Improves reflexes
- Strengthens muscles
- Grows their motor coordination
- Improves balance
- Increases their speed and flexibility
- Keeps their heart healthy
Skipping ropes also have numerous mental health benefits. It helps develop the brain and improve creative thinking. Jumping rope activities can also help shy kids overcome their fears, and it is also a fun activity.
Before you get started on any jumping rope exercise, make sure that you choose a rope that is suitable for everyone. Ropes are presented in different lengths, and a skipping rope that is too long can trip your young ones. On the other hand, a rope that is too short can prove hard to use since it won’t swipe up and round the child’s body. Consider the ages of your kids and their size when choosing a skipping rope.
- Jogging
Jogging can be defined as slow running. The main goal of jogging is to keep your speed without straining your body too much. Jogging can also be an excellent way to build your kid’s strength, which comes as a result of frequent exercising. Jogging around gives your loved ones a feeling of liberty, reward, and achievement, especially when they finish and hit their target. You can jog at home either on the spot, around the house or with a treadmill. Folding treadmills are easy to use at home and take up a lot less space than they used to – it’s well worth investing in one if you’re interested in all round fitness. Jogging has numerous benefits for everyone, even kids for instance jogging;
- Lowers the threat of developing Type 2 Diabetes
- Can reduce the cholesterol levels
- Can lower blood pressure
- Lessens the risk of becoming overweight and strengthens the muscles and bones
- Can help you have a leaner body from burning fat
There are some health considerations that you should remember before you go jogging around the house. First, you need to make sure that you eat a healthy and well-balanced meal, don’t eat immediately before jogging, and drink enough water even if you are not thirsty.
- Dancing
Dancing is super fun! Dancing not only helps your loved ones stay active but also beat the winter blues. Dancing is also great and suitable for people of all ages, from kids to the elderly. It can be as high energy as you would want. When the cold winter activities make it hard for you to go outside and exercise, don’t worry, blast some music and dance your way to physical fitness. If you’re worried that your moves aren’t quite up to scratch, take a dance lesson with the family first to gain some confidence and learn some moves.
It is important to note that dancing is a whole-body workout, which means it works every muscle in your body. The benefits of dancing include:
- Promotes weight loss
- Increases flexibility
- Enhances motor skills and coordination
- Increases endurance
- Enhances stability and balance
- Burns calories
- Improves your heart health
Dancing is both an aerobic exercise, strength and stretching exercise. You can replace all other forms of exercise by taking part in high-energy dancing. Apart from offering many physical benefits, dancing also has many mental benefits. For instance, it can help you clear your thoughts and improve your memory.
- Walking
Walking in your home can be more beneficial than walking outside. You can make walking even more fun by laying down some parts of painted paper in a trail all over the house. Tape the papers to the floor to keep them from sliding. Keep the colors different and challenge your loved ones to keep walking only on a specific color to another. You can also indulge in color walking; all you have to do is space the colored papers even more apart.
Consider your walking goals, if your goal is to lose weight, try increasing the day to day movement and tracking your steps every day. To strengthen the walk, you will have to add an incline that can help you burn more calories; it will be fun for everyone in the family to try the muscle challenge.
The Bottom Line
Keeping fit as a family during winter is crucial; you need to find fun things to do every time. Don’t let the freezing winter temperatures be an excuse to stop exercising. Engage your loved ones in indoor workout activities like dancing, jogging, walking, skipping, and playing. Keeping fit will help your loved ones stay well and increase their body’s ability to fight off illness.
So what do you think? Do you have a way of keeping the family fit indoors I haven’t covered? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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