How to Stay Active During Winter: Simple Tips to Keep Moving All Season

Winter can often be a tough time, here’s how to keep your body and mind healthy…

Cold weather, slippery paths and shorter days, winter can often make it harder to stay active. Many of us in the new year have goals of exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle; consistent movements can help to keep up with these resolutions. Keeping active is important to maintain strength, balance and overall wellbeing.

Here are some of our recommended ways to help you stay active this winter:

At Home Dance Classes:

At Xpress-Yourself Dance, we host 2 online dance classes a week, meaning you can get your fix of Keep Dancing without leaving your home. Our sessions are on Zoom which allows our dancers to still see one another and feel part of a community.

We offer:

• Keep Dancing for Carers at home on Tuesdays 9:30am-10:30am
• Keep Dancing Greatest Hits on Fridays 9:30am-10:30am

You can book either of these classes via this link: Dance classes

Providing social connection, even via Zoom, can boost your overall well-being. Seeing smiles, moving together as a group, and sharing music is a safe way to boost morale, even during the winter months. Regular classes give you something to look forward to, and the benefit of online courses is that even snow won’t stop the class!

Stay Hydrated:

In the winter, it can be hard to remember to stay hydrated, especially when the weather isn’t warm. Staying hydrated supports muscle function, joint health and energy levels. Hot drinks such as herbal teas are a great way to stay hydrated and keep warm. It’s a bonus that they taste delicious too! The best herbal teas for hydration are peppermint and camomile.

Online Workout classes:

Staying active can carry on through the winter, with the help of online workout classes. There is an extensive selection on youtube, but sometimes it can be hard to find the right workout for you.

Xpress-Yourself dance has created a selection of follow-along workout videos called ‘Move It Monday’ for your body and your brain. These workouts are especially designed to help with your dancing and day-to-day life.

Our Move It Monday series can be found here #MoveItMonday – YouTube

One of our top ‘Move It Mondays’ is the 10-minute Seated Functional Movement workout. This session is designed to help you maintain mobility, improve strength, and enhance functional movement—all from the comfort of your seat. You can access the workout here Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC – Move It Monday – Seated Functional Movement

So why not give it a go? Perhaps your New Years resolution could be to complete a Move It Monday every week!

Get some fresh air when the weather is safe

Winter sun, even just 10 minutes, can increasingly boost your mood and your vitamin D levels. Remember to keep safe by wearing shoes with good grip, time your fresh air well (midday is often best as it’s the warmest point in the day), walk with a friend or family member.

Stay warm to protect your muscles and your joints

If the winter weather is proving difficult to get out and exercise, keeping warm is the best thing you can do to protect your body. The cold weather can stiffen your joints, so make sure to wear layers, keep your socks and slippers on indoors. If you are choosing to exercise inside, please be aware of heating the room first, as activity will feel easier if your body is warm.

As you have read, there are many ways to Keep active in the winter, as well as some great tips to keep your body and mind healthy!

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC run weekly Keep Dancing classes, suitable for older adults across, Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall, Sandwell and online. Keep Dancing will teach you dances from around the world with no need for a dance partner. Find your nearest Keep Dancing class here.     

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC also runs classes to support carers in Birmingham thanks to Funding from Forward Carers CIC. Find out more about our Keep Dancing for carers here

To find out more about Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC follow us on Facebook.     

Thank you for taking the time to read How to Stay Active During Winter: Simple Tips to Keep Moving All Season. We can’t wait to keep active with you in our Keep Dancing classes!

Keep Dancing 💃