Avoid Getting Sick this Winter

The cold season (both chilly and cold as in flu) is here and typically people do not like being sick because let’s face it: being sick isn’t fun, right? Certain factors can cause people to become sick when the outdoor weather becomes cooler. However, there are a variety of measures you can take to reduce the risk of becoming sick during this time of year.

Cold Weather may Cause Sickness

People tend to stay indoors longer when temperatures begin to drop which leads some people to reduce the amount of exercise they are getting. Subsequently the amount of people getting sick begins to increase when they begin staying indoors more frequently due to a lack of fresh air and not keeping an exercise routine.

5 Tips on how to Stay Active this Cold Season

Reducing the amount of physical activity that your body gets can put you at risk for a variety of illnesses as a result of your immune system slowing down. By exercising you can strengthen your immune system. Here are 5 tips on how to keep active this winter season:

• In-Home Personal Trainer – This is where you can work out in the convenience of your own home or office. A fitness coach can come to your home or office and give you a customized exercise plan. They can setup an action plan for you, give you tips on how to perform exercises and develop a healthy eating plan for you (along with a customized menu and grocery list). In addition, they will give you the accountability you need. This will build the foundation necessary to ensure you don’t experience a yo-yo diet during the holiday season and afterwards.
• Go to the Gym – If you’re visiting the Birmingham area then you should check out which gyms offer visitor passes to use at their facilities. You’d be surprised which ones don’t. Shaping U fitness facilities actually offers visitor passes for people from out of town as well as those visiting Birmingham, Al. for the first time. Also let’s not leave out the locals from the Pelham, Helena and other Birmingham metro areas which are always welcome to visit their facilities regardless of the time of year.
• Fitness Classes – This could be a semi-private personal training session where a small group of people, generally 2-4, get together and workout as a small group led by a certified personal trainer. This could be small group Yoga Class, a small to medium sized group boxing fitness or kickboxing class. Last but not least this fitness class could just be a straight up (HIIT) High Intensity Interval Training style Boot Camp Class. At Shaping U Fitness they will bring you in and let you get a feel for all of the different styles of classes so that you can decide which one you enjoy doing the most.
• Get Social – By becoming more social and developing friendships it can help you to become healthier. According to Prevention (insert link: http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/your-winter-stay-healthy-guide) “… friendships counteract the harmful effects of stress hormones, but new research says the more friends you have, the healthier you\’ll be. Carnegie Mellon doctors gave 83 college freshmen an influenza vaccine and found that those with larger social networks produced more flu-fighting antibodies than those who hung out in smaller groups. “
• Take a Yoga Class – this type of exercise uses various types of stretching techniques that can help the body combat a variety of health related issues. It can help alleviate pain, boost the immune system, help remove toxins, stimulate digestion and more.

Action Plan

In order to Decrease the Risk of becoming sick in the winter it’s important to develop an action plan and stick to it. By writing down what you would like to achieve and evaluating when you have accomplished certain milestones it will help you stay focused regardless of the time of year.

If you want to speak with a professional trainer that will take time to listen to your goals then check out Shaping U Fitness facilities. They have a variety of choices whether you would like to use equipment or just join a fitness class, such as: cross-fit, boxing- bootcamp, kickboxing, Boot Camp, yoga and more. This Birmingham area gym also offers the choices of having a personal trainer come to your office or home, semi-personal private trainer at their facilities, a nutritionist that will give you the specific tips you will need to achieve your goals and more. Their personal coaches also have received one or more of the following certifications: ISSA (International Sciences Association), NFPT (National Federation Of Professional Trainers) and ACE.