She Strengthens

Beat the Winter Blues with These Indoor Workouts

As the last weeks of winter drag on, it’s easy to let your fitness goals fall by the wayside. But don’t let the cold weather get in the way of your progress! We’ve got the solution: indoor workouts that will keep you motivated, active, and burning calories until spring arrives.

Spin Your Way to Fitness

Ditch the bike and hit the spin class instead. Not only will you avoid icy roads and cold winds, but you’ll also get a killer calorie-burning workout. Research shows that indoor cycling classes can help lower blood pressure, trim fat, and strengthen bones. Plus, you’ll get to work on your core, thighs, calves, and butt – all without needing a helmet!

Make a Splash in the Pool

Why wait until summer to break out the swimsuit? Head to your local indoor pool and get in some laps. Swimming is a low-impact exercise that’s easy on the joints, and it can help improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Plus, the buoyancy of water lets you exercise for longer without feeling the strain.

Resistance Training Without the Gym

You don’t need a gym membership or heavy equipment to get a great workout. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to improve strength and endurance, and you can do them from the comfort of your own home. Add in some resistance bands for high-intensity supersets, and you’ll be burning calories in no time.

Conquer the Rock Wall

Indoor rock climbing is a unique cardio workout that will challenge your physical and mental strength. Research shows that scaling indoor walls can increase hand grip strength, leg power, and even improve your push-up, pull-up, and vertical jump skills. Plus, it’s a fun way to challenge yourself and get bragging rights when you reach the top!

Lace Up Your Skates

Ice skating isn’t just for kids! Head to your local indoor rink and carve up the ice. Not only is it super fun, but it’s also a great way to tone your legs, core, and butt, as well as improve your balance and coordination. And, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center, ice skating can burn around 500 calories per hour – that’s not counting bonus points for jumps and spins!

Get Moving with Barre

Barre-based workouts are a great way to combine elements of yoga, Pilates, and weight training to lengthen and tone your muscles. While they often use just your body weight and a barre, these classes can be surprisingly challenging. And, with the rise of online classes and streaming videos, you can try barre from the comfort of your own home.

Boot Camp Your Way to Fitness

Looking for a high-intensity workout that will kick-start your fitness goals? A boot camp workout might be just what you need. Inspired by military training, these sessions combine strength training moves with cardio to deliver a full-body workout. And, with many gyms offering indoor boot camp classes, you can stay warm and dry while you get fit.

Get Your Zen On

Yoga is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue while improving strength and flexibility. With various styles to suit every level, from novice to experienced yogi, yoga is an ideal indoor cross-training activity for more cardio-intense activities like running. Plus, it’s a great way to get your mind back into alignment.

Take It Slow with Tai Chi

Tai chi is a low-impact exercise that combines slow movements with deep breathing techniques. It’s especially good for getting your mind back into alignment, and research shows it can improve cardiovascular health, reduce stress and anxiety, ease back pain, and improve balance. Try taking a class or streaming video to learn proper forms before practicing on your own.

Carve Your Core with Pilates

Pilates is a great way to define your core and increase flexibility. Its moves, which can be modified to fit any fitness level, are designed to condition your body and improve balance. Get started with basic Pilates moves like kicks, leg stretches, and pulls, or take your skills to the Reformer machine for an added challenge.

Jump for Joy

Unleash your inner kid and hop onto the nearest trampoline! Trampoline workouts are a fun way to improve strength and aerobic capacity, making you fitter for whatever other workouts you want to try. And, thanks to the trampoline’s low-impact cushioning, your joints are protected as you jump up and down.

Play a Game of Dodgeball

Love it or hate it, dodgeball is a great way to get moving with a group of friends. It delivers a surprisingly good cardio workout, letting your body move in all planes of motion as you duck and fly over your opponent’s strikes. Just remember to take it easy on your opponents to prevent injuries!

Get Fast and Furious with Plyometrics

Plyometric workouts incorporate explosive movements like tuck jumps, jumping jacks, and single-leg hops to improve cardio endurance, agility, and strength. Just remember to switch up your routine regularly to keep challenging your body.

Shoot Hoops

No need to wait until summer to get your basketball fix! Indoor hoops can burn nearly 600 calories per hour, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. Plus, running full-court can improve your athletic endurance, balance, and coordination.

Kick Out on the Soccer Field

Don’t relegate soccer to a warm-weather-only sport! Indoor soccer is a solid option for kicking out your frustrations and working up a sweat. And the benefits are worth it: soccer is great cardio, plus some sneaky core work with every pass, shot, and corner kick.

Kickboxing: The Ultimate Full-Body Workout

Kickboxing combines karate-style kicking with boxing punches to give your upper and lower body a kick-ass workout. Research shows that just 5 weeks of kickboxing classes can build upper body muscle strength, aerobic conditioning, flexibility, speed, and agility. Plus, it’s a great way to reduce stress and improve self-defense skills.

Swing That Kettlebell

Who knew swinging cast iron could reap such huge benefits in so little time? Kettlebell workouts combine strength training and cardio to blast calories and improve muscle strength and endurance. Check out a full-body kettlebell workout to get you started.

Row It Out

Rowing machines are more than just a great way to work your arms – they’re a full-body workout that combines aerobic and resistance training. Each stroke combines a leg press, a dead lift, and a row, making it an efficient way to get fit. And, with the resistance created by how hard you push or pull, you can adjust the intensity level to suit your fitness goals.

Get to Know TRX

TRX is a suspension trainer that uses your own body weight to perform challenging moves, all while suspended from different angles. It’s a favorite among Navy SEALs, and it works the whole body, including the core. Exercises can be modified depending on your fitness level, making it a worthwhile workout.

Takeaway

Don’t let the cold weather get in the way of your fitness goals! With these indoor workouts, you can stay active, motivated, and burning calories until spring arrives. Find the workout that suits you best, gather the equipment you need, and get ready to sweat through the cold season.