We are almost to November and that means cold weather has begun to set in. If you’re like me — or any of the black bears around here — you like to stay inside. So for those of you that are not out snowshoeing or cross country skiing in the winter, here are some exercises and activities from the Integrated Pain Solutions team that you can do indoors. 

4 Ways to Stay Active This Winter

Morning Stretches & Routine

Get active right away with a morning stretch and exercise routine. Stretching helps limber up the muscles and ligaments of the body while exercising and will get the blood flowing and will help you wake up and be more alert for the day. 

Join an Indoor Sports Team

Indoor recreational sports, if you have access to a community center, YMCA, or a fitness club they will usually have indoor recreation sports or leagues that you can join. A couple of my personal favorites are racquetball, tennis, pickle-ball, and basketball. These sports usually combine a side to side movement and are also good to get the heart rate up for the recommended 30 minutes 3–4 times a week. 

Spend Some Time Swimming

Sticking with recreational centers, my absolute favorite indoor activity for any age and for any skill level is swimming. If you can find your way to a pool three times a week it will help with your cardiovascular system and conditioning. Swimming creates resistance across multiple joints while simultaneously reducing the amount of gravity and pressure put on those same joints. 

Walk Your Local Mall

Go mall walking, if you live in a town that has a mall, use it to your advantage and go mall walking. The great thing about walking at the mall is nobody is timing you! It’s free and you can do as many laps as you want. Bring a friend and mall walks will never be boring. A less exciting but still effective walking experience would be to buy a treadmill as an alternative. 

Stay in Motion and Find Chronic Pain Relief in Mosinee & Green Bay

Let’s get it straight, motion is lotion and a body in motion should stay in motion. This will help your joints function the way they should and keep your range of motion — and sometimes even increase your range of motion. If all of these exercises and stretches sound too painful, it might be time to make a consultation at Integrated Pain Solutions in Green Bay & Mosinee to find chronic pain relief today!