Staying Active this Winter
Stay Active This Winter
Frigid air, snow, ice, and more are here! All of these make it harder to stay active. However, physical activity -- any activity that gets you up and moving -- is part of a good lifestyle. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It helps improve your brain health, reduce disease risk, strengthen bones and muscles, manage weight, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.
Did you know that short-term feelings of anxiety in adults can be reduced with moderate physical activity? Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, and even improve sleep quality, according to the CDC.
Additionally, physical activity and eating well are key for weight management. A person gains weight when they take in more calories through drinking and eating than they burn. To maintain weight a person should work out (moderately) for about 150 minutes (2.5 hours) a week. This could be fun like dancing, yard work, or even shoveling the snow! If you wanted to lose weight, you would need to reduce the number of calories you are eating and drinking to ensure you burn more than you consume.
What can you do?
Join our Winter Challenge! Explore new places in Cortland County as you work through a bingo card full of fun physical and mental health activities, food challenges, and more. Our challenges are open to all residents of Cortland County. As you complete each activity, don’t forget to take a picture of yourself and post it to Facebook with the tag @SevenValleysHealthCoalition! https://www.sevenvalleyshealth.org/physical-activity
Nature walks! Visit Lime Hollow, Tinker Falls, Jim Shug Trail, Taylor Valley State Forest, or one of the other great hiking locations found throughout Cortland County. If going for an outdoors walk, please be aware of the weather and plan. You can prepare before you head outside by checking the weather, wearing proper winter attire, and choosing an activity that you can manage.
Try working out online. Some local organizations, like the YMCA post exercise routines online. You can also visit YouTube and see various workouts. This could include yoga, weightlifting, meditation, or targeted exercises for core, legs, arms, or cardiovascular health. Many of these can be found for free and do not require purchasing anything. Need a weight for weightlifting? Try a stack of books or a jug of water! Need a step to step up? Try using your stairs at home!
Do some housework. All movements are good movements. Have you noticed the dust bunnies collecting in the corner? Need to mop the floor? When was the last time you did the laundry? Housework may be overwhelming but breaking it up into small tasks makes it achievable! Start by doing the dishes or dusting those bookshelves. Do not forget to take a break as needed and when ready pull out the vacuum, do the floors, and grab those corner dust bunnies! Finish with laundry or mopping the floors. Not only did you get some activity in, but your house looks great now. That is what I call I win!
Volunteer at a place you enjoy. Is there a group or organization you would like to do more with? Reach out to see what volunteer positions they have open. You could help at your local soup kitchen or food rescue, volunteer at the hospital, or help remove snow at your neighbor’s house.
How can you get started?
Start small, by looking at ways to reduce sitting time and increase your movement. Take a walk before or after dinner to help digest your food and get your body moving. If a walk seems too much, make it shorter, start with going to get the mail each day or walking to the end of the block and back. Look to gradually increase your walk length as your body gets stronger. Additionally, sticking with a movement habit is better accomplished with a buddy -- encourage others in your household to go with you or meet up with a friend!
