For example, if you enjoy bicycling and have spent the summer working on your legs, you can move indoors during the winter and work on your upper body using weights. The theory of crosstraining is to maintain cardio-fitness. Rather than going into hibernation, you can view the winter as an opportunity to try a different sport, enabling you to stay motivated and maintain the level of fitness you achieve during the summer.
Winter also is a good time to recover from injuries sustained in the summer or to try something new.
Group exercise classes , such as those offered by Northwestern Memorial's Wellness Institute , are a great way to stay motivated. It's also a good time to take care of your mental health, perhaps by taking a Wellness Institute meditation or stress management class . When people start to exercise, a lot of good things happen. Generally, their cholesterol level improves, they lose weight or change the composition of their weight from fat to muscle, their blood pressure decreases, respiratory function improves and cardiac fitness improves. People with diabetes may be able to control their disease more effectively, too.