While spring and summer are perfect for outdoor activities, tennis, volleyball and the like lose their appeal as soon as the temperatures drop. Instead, we snuggle up on the couch and give our bodies the break they deserve. The perfect time to relax and get back in touch with yourself. But for those who can't sit still in autumn and winter either, we have a few tips in this article on how to stay fit and maintain your weight during the cold season.
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How to keep fit and healthy during the cold season
Admittedly, it is not that easy to stay fit during the cold season. Exercising outside is not very tempting, but a night in front of the TV with delicious snacks is all the more so.
However, we have put together a few tips for you on how you can still manage to stay active and healthy:
Braving the cold
Even if the weather isn't exactly inviting, it's worth braving the cold and getting some exercise outdoors. Even a short walk can have a positive effect on your health.
Science has repeatedly shown that outdoor activities in winter not only keep you physically fit, but also boost your mental well-being. For example, they can alleviate symptoms of depression and improve concentration and memory. They also help your body absorb vitamin D, which in turn has a positive effect on your mood. So bundle up and get out into nature.
Maintain your weight with indoor sports and home workouts
The cold is not for you? No problem. Test your way through the gyms in your city and find out what you like. From mindful yoga classes to sweat-inducing HIIT workouts, there is a lot to discover in the fitness world. If, on the other hand, you don't want to train in a group, home workouts are a good alternative. Find out which apps and YouTube workouts are available, and you're ready to go.
Find a training buddy
Often, however, it's not a lack of ideas, but rather a lack of motivation and discipline to get started. That's why it's a good idea to find a training partner. Not only is it more fun to exercise with someone, but you can also motivate and challenge each other.
After a sweaty fitness session, it's best to reward yourself with a protein-rich, healthy breakfast or snack. It's not just about exercise. Nutrition also plays an important role in maintaining your weight during the cold season. Find out how to do it in the next section.
How to maintain your weight in fall and winter
When it's cold and dark outside, high-calorie foods taste particularly good. This so-called comfort food may help us get through the cold season, but sooner or later it will show on our hips and tummy. To fight the winter weight gain, you should therefore make sure you eat a healthy and balanced diet. Our tips will help you:
Recognizing calorie traps
To avoid starting the spring with extra pounds, it helps to recognize calorie traps and eliminate them from your diet. These include, above all, alcohol, snacks and sweets.
For example: if you enjoy a small beer and half a bag of crisps in front of the TV in the evening, you will consume about 600 calories. The daily requirement for an adult woman is around 1,900 kcal, so the snack makes up almost a third of the daily calorie requirement. For men, the requirement is slightly higher at around 2,300 kcal.
You can easily find out exactly what your daily requirement is using our calorie calculator.
Pay attention to your nutrient intake
To help you maintain your weight during the cold season, you should pay attention to your ideal nutrient intake. Give your body enough protein, healthy fatty acids and long-chain carbohydrates to keep you full for longer and spare you from food cravings.
Our porridge, for example, is a breakfast dish that is bursting with healthy nutrients, in addition to muesli. The warm porridge consists mainly of oats, which are a healthy source of long-chain carbohydrates and therefore keep you full for a long time. What's more, the regional grain provides a considerable amount of protein.
With the right toppings, such as nuts or seeds, you can also add unsaturated fatty acids to your breakfast porridge. This makes porridge the perfect breakfast, which on top of that also tastes delicious.
Organic porridge from VERIVAL - try it now!
Maintain your weight with fruit and vegetables
In addition to nuts and seeds, fruits of all kinds are also great as porridge toppings. And many vegetables can also add that certain something to porridge. For example, have you ever tried carrots or courgettes in porridge?
Especially in winter it is important to eat enough fruit and vegetables. In addition to the vitamins that keep us healthy during the cold season, they are also characterized by their high fiber content. This keeps you full for a long time without putting too much strain on your calorie account. Our tip: With an additional healthy source of fat (e.g. a handful of nuts), fat-soluble vitamins can be better absorbed by the body.
