It's hard to translate outdoor sports to the indoors. Take bicycling and jogging. Outside, it's all fresh air and scenery; indoors, the view is often a cinderblock wall. The key to staying active in the cold-weather months is to seek out indoor sports that will hold your interest. Try something new this winter. Squash and racquetball give a terrific workout. Both are fast-paced and fun, and you interact with other human beings instead of exercise machines. You can also enroll in aerobics classes at a nearby health club, seek out a pickup basketball game, or join an indoor soccer league. Even the stationary bike and treadmill can be made a lot more engaging. If indoor exercise bores you, read the paper or a magazine or watch TV while you jog or bike. On the treadmill, wear headphones and listen to a favorite CD, perhaps reserving a special selection for use only while exercising. Or try books on tape. Don't let yourself get bored. Vary your activity, run on the treadmill one day, cycle the next, swim on another. Don't have access to a treadmill or stationary bike? Try exercise videos. They're cheap, and they don't have to be intense and complicated to be effective. The ideal cold-weather activities are, of course, winter sports like skiing, ice skating, even snowshoeing. You can also walk or run even when it's cold out, although you should exercise caution when the roads are wet or icy.
Last updated May 19, 2006
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