Sometime in the weeks following New Year’s the novelty of winter begins to wear off. The once-invigorating brisk chill in the air just makes us want to head back to bed. According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, physical activity drops off in these colder, darker late-fall and winter months every year. In 2011 the percentage of adults who reported exercising for at least 30 minutes 3 or more days a week fell to 49.8% in November, down more than 5% from the year’s high in July. Meanwhile, chilly temperatures make us want to double down when it comes to eating and indulge in hearty (and often fatty) comfort-food classics. In fact, who reported eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables at least 4 days a week has been consistently lower in fall and winter months than in spring or summer between 2008 and 2011. While these are a few of the reasons we greet spring a few pounds heavier than we were in September, that doesn’t mean keeping in shape this winter is a lost cause. You can cave to some of your hunker-down instincts without sacrificing your health, as long as you hibernate strategically with these tips.
