With dark nights and cold temperatures, making it out of the house in order to exercise can prove to be a challenge. What’s more, with Christmas parties and festive gatherings aplenty, finding the time to work out isn’t always the easiest of tasks. According to a fitness expert, that means that when it comes to your winter training routine, it comes down to choosing the right exercises. So, what work outs should you be doing this winter?
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, personal trainer and lifestyle coach Kelly Sephton shared her top tips.
“With everyone going to Christmas parties, you’re probably not going to want to spend too much time in the gym,” Kelly said.
The professional trainer went on to explain the type of work outs she recommended.
“Exercises that use a lot of your muscle group in one go,” she said. “They’re called compound exercises.”
Kelly explained that these exercises include squats, lunges, back exercises, and using weights.
Insisting that this could help someone to burn more calories, she added: “You’re going to use more muscles at the same time, so get a quicker work out.
“That’s good over the festive period.
“If you’re busy at parties and at events and can only get into the gym a couple of times a week, if you know you’ve worked your whole body effectively then you’re going to get better results over that time.”
However, that’s not to say that cardio (cardiovascular exercise) needs to be avoided this Christmas.
In fact, for a training routine which raises your heart rate, Kelly advised a high-intensity work out.
“If you’re looking for more cardio-based exercises, which are also good at burning calories, you can look at doing HIIT training – which for example you can do on a bike, treadmill, or running machine.
“Go to full exertion – sprint mode – for 20 to 30 seconds, then have a full recovery for another 20 to 30 seconds.”
Kelly explained that that process should be repeated for the time that you can spare, or according to your fitness level.
She continued: “Whether it’s 10 or 15 minutes, that’s absolutely fine.
“Rather than just walking for half an hour, it’s more time efficient over this period.”
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Kelly Sephton is an ambassador for leading sports nutrition brand USN who have just launched their new lifestyle range, USN Trust. To find out more, visit www.usn.co.uk.