Creating Cardio Outside of the Gym this Winter

Wintertime prompts some adjustments in the way you conduct your day. Where there’s snow, it’s likely that your snow shovel is within plain view upon walking into your garage. Where there’s freezing temperatures, you wouldn’t dare drive without gloves for fear of frostbitten fingers. Unless you’re located in fair weather regions, the frigid season also brings out some creativity when it comes to getting in the proper amount of exercise.

The start to 2014 is as good a time as any to be loyal to your gym membership, but before you get your limbs tangled into knots with dumbbells, take to the outdoors.

According to Active.com, snow-surfaces and icy obstacles might put your personal trainer’s workout to shame. Amongst the seasonal sports to take part in during winter, snowboarding and downhill skiing burn 429 and 432 calories per hour, respectively. Topping that with 468 calories burned per hour, is sledding. That’s right, the activity of your snowsuit-wearing childhood is enough to burn off any amount of hot chocolate, so don’t feel guilty about the extra marshmallows.

Just before the festivities of Christmastime, my family and I packed our lunches and our ski gear for a day at Powderhorn Resort atop the Colorado Mesa. Legs quivering, and heart racing, the end of a ski run will make you aware of neglected muscle groups without the machinery of your local gym. “[Skiing is] a great all-round way to keep both the body and the mind healthy and fit for anyone willing to give it a try,” according to Fitday.com.

Take the hesitation out of working out in the winter and roll it down a snowy hillside. Cold weather will not be the villain in achieving your fitness resolutions. Take your cardio to creative limits this season, but don’t forget your extra pair of socks. 

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Seven Minutes in Action

There are countless ways to stir up trouble for you and your bank account during summertime, and you have to be ready for any spontaneous opportunity that may come your way. Whether you find yourself lost in the “Related Videos” tab on YouTube, road tripping with friends (all of whom sing off-key), or bonding with your trustworthy friend, Franzia, there are few excuses for dullness. That being said, there is little time to fret over a workout schedule.

Summer is ripe with spontaneity, as well as temperatures that can only be explained as Mother Theresa’s menopausal hot flashes. While neither of these conditions makes it easier to coax yourself into exercise mode, there is a speedy, seven-minute workout to save you time at the gym or in the heat without losing the burn of a thorough workout.

All you need for this workout is a dumbbell or plate that is challenging for you, a stop watch, and an open space. The goal is to work quickly to complete three sets of four exercises within seven minutes.

The Breakdown – 1 Set

1. Over-head lunges (30)

• Holding your weight directly overhead, lunge forward with your left leg so that your right knee touches the ground. Come back up to a standing position and repeat for your right leg. Alternate legs for 30 repetitions. Remember to keep your weight above your head for the entire 30 repetitions.

2. Mountain climbers (20)

• In a push-up position, bring your left leg up as close you’re your left hand as you can, then back down to your right leg. Alternate between your right and left legs for 20 repetitions. When you get into a rhythm, you might begin to bounce—try to minimize bouncing and keep your body parallel to the ground. You should feel toning in your hamstrings.

3. Side-to-side Planks (10)

• Starting in push-up position with your arms fully extended, turn your body to the left so that your left foot rests on top of your right and raise your left arm to the sky. Bring your arm down, and turn into push-up position. Repeat this, facing the right side now, and continue for 20 repetitions. Remember to put your feet on top of one another for a full rep.

4. Standing Squats (30)

• To finish, stand with your feet at shoulder-width, toes facing forward. With your arms raised in front of you, or to your sides, lower your butt until your quadriceps are parallel to the floor. Tip: keep an upright back and don’t look down at the ground.

Aside from learning just how quickly seven minutes passes, you’ll also gain high-level cardio and hints of muscle definition in your quadriceps, hamstrings and biceps. Chip away at that layer of stored sweets and mixed drinks you may have gained thus far into summer.

Though you may not complete three sets of these exercises on your first attempt, don’t succumb to couch potato-ism. With a workout like this one, it’s easy to set a goal for yourself because it is divided into separate movements.

Don’t get me wrong, I am an offender of talking myself out of workouts, as well—ask the local TCBY employees. Yet, this seven-minute burn will prove to you that efficiency is not always positively correlated to length of a workout. You’ll find that this routine gives you an adequate mixture of cardio and muscle pinpoint movement.

Mix this shortcut into your weekly workouts for those days when you can hardly pull away from the chilled mojitos or the shaded patio.