Whether this will be your first Ottawa winter or you are a frost-bitten veteran, it is important to remember that no matter how much ice and cold weather that will soon take over the city, a few million flakes of snow cannot push our fitness routines into hibernation. With longer and darker days along with stress woes of exam season in university, exercising regularly will help you sweat out all your Winter Blues!
Here are 4 tips to help you maintain, or kick-start, your fitness routine during the up-coming snowy season:
- Get excited about exercise
Having a positive attitude going in this winter will be the key to keeping yourself happy and fit. Work out because you WANT to, not because you think you HAVE to. Treat sweating it up at the gym, on the track, or along the snowy sidewalks as a reward for the intense school day you’ve woken up to or just came home from. By adopting a positive outlook on exercise you will be pleasantly surprised about how the happy-vibes from your fitness routine will overlap to other aspects of your life!
- Take the party indoors:
Too icy, too dark, and too sick to exercise are excuses we are guilty of telling ourselves as we look out our window on a dreary winter morning. At Carleton, there are SO many accessible, affordable and FUN fitness classes that even if Carleton’s newly renovated gym (which is gorgeous FYI) ain’t your style, you can stay toasty while getting your sweat-on from the warm side of the window. Yoga of all levels, spinning, bootcamp, dance, whatever fitness class calls to you – Carleton has it!
Check out Carleton’s fitness information package to fill you on al the awesome fitness classes they are offering this winter:
http://athletics.carleton.ca/wp-content/files/Fitness-Class-Listing.pdf
- Plan ahead:
One hour of exercise constitutes 4.12% of your entire day, therefore can easily fit into your schedule, especially if you plan ahead. Check Carleton’s pool, gym and fitness class schedules to figure out in advance when your body and mind can take a break from the books. Morning, mid-day and evening exercisers alike don’t even need to leave Carleton’s campus to fit in their routine: bring your runners or bathing suit with you to class and hit the gym or pool on your way home. Live off Campus? Put your running shoes on the floor right next to your backpack before bed, so then in the morning they are a reminder to start the day off on the right foot!
Carleton’s fitness center is open weekdays 6 am – 10 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 8 am – 8 pm.
Carleton’s pool schedule changes each day, so plan your workout accordingly:
http://athletics.carleton.ca/wp-content/files/Swim-Schedule-Fall-Winter-2013-2014.pdf
- “There is no such thing as bad weather. Only bad clothes.”
I cannot emphasize this point enough. Having trained for a half-marathon all throughout last winter, I am testimony to the fact that no matter the temperature, hail or wind there are ways to layer up and exercise comfortably without getting frost-bitten. Cover up the face with a neck-warmer, hide the head with a toque, master chilly fingers with warm mittens, and don’t underestimate the warmth of double-layering your workout leggings. While this is hard to convince others until you’ve personally experienced it, you will feel real Canadian when you earn bragging rights to say you’ve exercised in sub -20 weather!