“Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions.” Let’s face it, working out is a LOT of effort! At least for most of us it is. With the sun mostly hiding behind dark clouds, and the cold making us want to stay in bed those extra 10 minutes, finding the motivation to exercise in the winter is even harder than otherwise. Let’s take a look at some of the exercises we can do that’ll keep us on our toes, without actually stepping out into the bitter cold!

5. The 30-min Cardio

YouTube is generally a great resource for exercise videos, there are tons of those out there. Our personal favourite is the 30-min cardio workout that gets the sweat going, the heart pumping like it really should, if you’re serious about getting fit. The exercises in this video are designed to strengthen your core while relieving stress. All you need is an exercise mat and some good exercise shoes.

6. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch

12 Indoor Exercises To Stay Fit And Beat The Winter Bulge
By: Shilpa Sachdev on Jan 23rd, 2015
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“Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions.”

Let’s face it, working out is a LOT of effort! At least for most of us it is. With the sun mostly hiding behind dark clouds, and the cold making us want to stay in bed those extra 10 minutes, finding the motivation to exercise in the winter is even harder than otherwise. Let’s take a look at some of the exercises we can do that’ll keep us on our toes, without actually stepping out into the bitter cold!
1. Plank it out!

Image credit: Online Yoga Guide
If you know what we’re talking about, you’ll probably shudder at the sound of it. It may sound easy but this is one of the most challenging, and that’s why it features first!

Here’s how you do it: Get into the regular push up position, but instead of push ups, hold that position for 30 seconds (to start with, adding 15 seconds everyday). Plank helps strengthen your inner core muscles while also enhancing flexibility as it stretches and expands on certain areas. This is a Polka favourite, and should be yours too! Check out this video for a visual description.

Day one: 30 seconds plank | Day two: 45 seconds | Day three: 60 seconds (and it continues…)

2. Be the Jumping Jack

We have some great shows (Game of Thrones, House of Cards, et cetera) releasing this winter which will make download rates break through ceilings. Here’s how you can keep the blood circulating. Get up every time there’s a slope in the plot, do about 50 jumping jacks, get the blood flowing again, just in time for Ned Stark to be reborn again (just kidding!).

Start with 20 and add 10 every day till you reach 50 jumping jacks a day!
3. The Knee-High March

Just running in place isn’t going to do it, simply because it’s not much fun and it’ll only last a few seconds. Give “running in place” a little more nuance by bringing your knee as high as you possibly can with every stride. You can do this in one place or down a long hall, whichever is readily available to you.

How many: 10 minutes with a 15 second break every 2 minutes.
4. Squat your Way to Perfection

Image credit: Top Ten Famous
Sometimes called “the king of all exercises”, squats work on your entire body. A simple yet tough way to get the heart rate up and flex those muscles. Stand with your feet apart, keep your head up facing forward, bend down till your hips are lower than your knees, come back up, and repeat. Twenty of these everyday with a slow and consistent increment in number should do the trick. Squats can either be done without props, or with weights such as dumbbells or kettlebells.

Day one: 10 squats | Day two: 15 squats | Day three: 20 squats (and it continues till you reach a 100 a day)
5. The 30-min Cardio

Image credit: BeEmbraced
YouTube is generally a great resource for exercise videos, there are tons of those out there. Our personal favourite is the 30-min cardio workout that gets the sweat going, the heart pumping like it really should, if you’re serious about getting fit. The exercises in this video are designed to strengthen your core while relieving stress. All you need is an exercise mat and some good exercise shoes.
6. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch

Yep, we said it and it’s out there. All the beer that we chug without a thought about the calories we’re consuming does finally catch up with us. With crunches, you can keep the chugging going (to a minimum). If you find doing crunches like climbing mountains, then start with this really simple and easily doable 8-min abs workout.