5 ways to keep fit this winter

Winter can be a difficult time to keep fit for all of us. The combination of wet, windy, cold weather and more food than you could shake a Christmas ham at can lead to putting on a few pounds or falling behind with our workout regime. So with that in mind, I've compiled a list of ways to keep fit during "the most wonderful time of the year".

Swimming

Swimming is a popular way to keep fit all year round, especially during winter when it can be too cold to run or jog. It builds muscle strength and helps maintain a healthy weight. Unlike some exercise, swimming is an all body workout as nearly all of your muscles are being used. This can help build muscle and strength in places that're not usually built up. Aside from the physical health benefits, swimming is also calming and has been proven to be relaxing and a good way to rid yourself of stress. It also doesn't require you to break the bank; an hour long swimmming session will only set you back a few euro at most.

Ice Skating 

From water to ice. During winter you may notice an abundance of ice rinks opening up in shopping centres. Aside from being a good way to get into the Christmas spirit, ice skating actually has many health benefits. It improves your balance and coordination aswell as toning large muscles in your legs and core. It can also be quite a fun social experience if you can get a group of friends together. It does tend to be more on the expensive side so that may discourage some people.

Trampolining

Another fun choice, trampolining, is widely regarded as an unbound enthusiastic exercise . It's been known to strengthen the heart, increase oxygen capacity, and improve balance. A simple twenty minute session can burn upwards of 100 calories. Couple this with its ability to increase your body's metabolic rate and burn calories more effectively. It can als help combat depression, anxiety and stress by increasing the the amount of endorphins realeased by the brain. So get out there and start bouncing!

Stair Climbing

If you're like me and think that everything I've mentioned sounds good but for whatever reason you don't want to do it, I have the ultimate winter exercise; Stair Climbing. It burns more calories a minute than jogging, reduces the risk of  type 2 diabetes, stroke, and obesity, and tones muscle. It's also a fairly safe and easy way to exercise, makes use of the world around you and won't cost you a cent. Stick on some Christmas music and start climbing!

Indoor sports

Want to continue on your way to becoming the next Ronaldo, Michael Jordan, or Bertrand Gille but don't want to freeze outside during winter? Look no further than indoor sports such as netball, football, and basketball. Unlike most of the entries on this list, indoor sports are almost always team sports which can be a good way to make friends. And if that doesn't appeal to you, indoor sports have a lot of health benefits. Football can improve your state of mind and burn calories, netball can improve your hand eye coordination, and basketball can improve spatial awareness. So what are you waiting on?