by Tom Fowler

Created on: October 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2008

We all know that burning calories is much easier in the warmer months, when we tend to spend more time out of doors and involved in various physical activities.

What to do, then, when the air is frigid, the days are short and ice is on the ground?

Over the years, I have modified my winter habits to maintain a stable weight. Allow me to share my "secret" with you.

First, realize that there will be at least some moderate weather during the winter months. On these days, take advantage of it by performing outside tasks and taking long walks in the brisk winter air. It is always important to get as much physical exercise as your health will permit, but even more so in winter when our bodies want to put on weight to fight the cold. You will feel the urge in winter to eat more and heavier foods. Indulge yourself a little but be careful not to over do it, for our bodies are as bank accounts. If we burn more calories than we consume, we lose weight. When we take in more than is burned off, then we gain weight.

I have found that exercising indoors is the solution to winter weight gain. It can be done either in your home or at a fitness center. Fitness centers and health clubs are ideal, for there you have, at a reasonable monthly fee, access to state of the art workout equipment. You also have walking tracks, swimming pools and various exercise courts, (handball, basketball, etc). You may also have the option of signing up for special classes such as water aerobics and calisthenics, tailored to your age and physical condition.

But, perhaps the greatest value to working out indoors is being able to get hot, sweaty and winded. Naturally, this is hard to do outside in winter. Forcing the human body into this condition does several things. It allows us to sweat out impurities, muscles and joints stay flexible and loose and it fights the tendency to want to eat heavy foods and gain weight. You may say that we are fooling our bodies into thinking it is spring or summer, but, unless we foolishly move too quickly from inside and warm to outside and cold, it is good for us for all of the reasons stated.

There are some drawbacks to this, but our focus is on weight control. Still, we should at least consider what could be construed as the downside of my indoor workout program.

For some people, working out and getting hot may be a hindrance in adjusting to the cold of winter. As mentioned above, we all should be careful about going outside too quickly in winter after a hot workout while still perspiring. If you have a cold or flu bug in you, this could lower your immune system and cause you to become ill. It is also possible to stiffen up in cold weather after a brisk workout. If this is a problem for you, do as we would for a horse after a long ride. End your workout slowly and "walk down" to a normal body temperature.

This advice may not work for everybody. Each of us is at a different stage of life and our exercise and eating habits should take that into account. However, it is always true that we should exercise as much as we can and monitor what and how much we eat. Do this to the best of your ability and your reward will be increased health and energy.

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