Tips on how to fight the winter fitness blues
Exercise indoors at this time of year can get a little tedious, especially if you prefer training outdoors, but there are so many ways to fight the boredom.
Classes give us a chance to exercise in a more social environment and have someone else tell us what to do.
Often, the biggest challenge is keeping things fresh and interesting and coming up with something challenging.
Let someone else do the planning for you and use your energy for the workout itself.
A change of scenery can be helpful.
If you normally swim, try walking the track. If you’ve been walking the track for years, try swimming or water running. If you have always meant to try weight training, now is the time to try.
Look into having a personal trainer write a program tailored to you and increase resistance slowly.
Any motivation that gets us moving when the daylight is reduced is good motivation.
Sometimes friends are the best.
They get us to sign up for things we might not normally do.
I’ve been doing my best to convince friends to join me on Sunday, Feb. 10 at the Kamloops Indoor GranFondo, so I don’t have to ride for the full six hours without company.
It’s open to anyone who wants to come and support the Kamloops chapter of the MS Society.
Whether you ride six, four or two hours — or even 45 minutes — at the Tournament Capital Centre, you are still pedalling your way to helping services in your own community and there will be tons going on to keep you entertained during the ride.
The Interior Grasslands Cycling Club will be there with their new roller-racing setup to open up some friendly competitions with anyone interested in sprinting without actually going anywhere.
The front of the bike is bolted down, so I’m excited that I won’t be able to crash.
The day includes entertainment, cycling videos, instructor-led workouts, door prizes and celebrity challenges.
All-day family and youth activities will be available, such as KidZone, XploreSportz, a free family swim and a tots bike parade.
The kids are the only ones who will get to actually ride around the track, even though I know many of us adults wish it could be us.
Catharine Pendrel will be joining in during the last two hours to participate in some of the roller-racing challenges, to share some race footage and lead the countdown to a group finish that just can’t happen on the road in an outdoor fondo.
She will then share her Olympic experience during the post-ride social, open to all registered riders.
If you haven’t yet registered for the event, you can do so at kamloopsgranfondo.ca.
If you have a bike, but no indoor trainer, there are still trainers available for rent.
If you don’t have a bike, reserve one of the Keiser stationary bikes. And, if you’ve been thinking about buying a trainer, reserve one at the special Kamloops Indoor GranFondo price through Spoke N Motion.
Collecting pledges is welcome, but optional. The main thing is registering and being part of the group energy and cycling community.
Shawn Wenger is a BCRPA-registered personal trainer and weight-training and group-fitness instructor. She runs Fitness For Mortals. E-mail fitnessformortals@gmail.com for information.
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