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The blistering cold and looming snowstorms can sometimes get the best of you. But there are ways to keep those winter woes at bay. During January, Alex and Anna will give you weekly tips on how to beat those winter blues.
Exercise is one way to elevate your mood and get you out of the house. According to the Mayo Clinic, being fit can make you feel better about yourself and relieve stress. This week, A&A went to New York Sports Club in Greenwich to see how people were staying active.
"Try new things, new classes and new routines to beat the winter weight," said Mary Montgomery Smith, a trainer at the gym. "Your body naturally wants to gain more weight in the winter to keep it warm, so what a perfect time to get your routine. The body adapts. If you do the exact same exercise and the same routine, it gets boring and your body won't respond."
One of Smith's clients, Steve Jury works out at the gym regularly and said his routine consists of free weights twice a week and cardio, such as running or step. "If you're like me and you get bored easily, a trainer is the way to go. Mary changes it and keeps it interesting," said Jury, who was lifting weights with Smith's assistance.
Daniel Versace, fitness service manager for New York Sports Clubs at 6 Liberty Way in Greenwich, suggested that people at the gym for the first time begin with a workout regimen of 20 to 30 minutes on two to four days a week. "Most people when they join gyms, they set themselves up to fail and try to do it every single day, and they can't keep up with it," said Versace.
Another trainer at the gym, Dwayne July, agreed and said people who are just beginning should take small steps. "I usually start them out with body weights. It's the biggest ally that you have especially if you're overweight," he said.
"You just feel better," said Maria DiPaola, a Greenwich resident who was exercising on an elliptical machine Monday. "I had a headache when I got here, and it's already going away."
Be part of the conversation: What kind of exercise do you do to beat the winter blues?
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