How did you manage the holiday season?  Did you get outside for some fresh air in order to escape the crazy family and bring a semblance of sanity back?  Or perhaps you were able to slip in that lunch-time walk while you scrambled to finish up those last minute, 2015 tasks?  Did anyone enjoy a post-turkey stroll through the neighbourhood?

And now we are into 2016:  everyone is back to work this week, kids are back in school, and resolution stresses are already piling up.  Weight loss – the number one resolution people set and, subsequently, the number one resolution that is broken.  How many of you did some type of weight-loss”y” resolution?  How many of you have committed to “more time at the gym”?  And how many have you have already broken that resolution?

May I offer a suggestion, an alternative, that will yield similar results?  Make a promise to yourself to simply get outside and move more.  I know why you don’t go to the gym:  it’s boring!  So don’t force yourself to go.  Find a fun activity outside and get out there.  Stop using the cold as an excuse (Hey, I managed to walk to work regularly in -40C when I lived in a cold climate!), grab an extra layer, have the tea kettle ready for when you get home, and get outside!

Don’t let the scale be your focus:  focus on something fun and enjoyable; be it a meditative walk in the woods, downhill skiing/snowboarding, low-impact snowshoeing, playing on the jungle gym with the kids, hitting up the outdoor rink, or strapping on the microspikes and jogging!  The outdoors is your natural gym and provides you with so many more amazing results than just losing the extra jiggle.  You’re forcing your body to use all of it’s muscles and not just isolating a particular one so you’ll receive a significantly more overall, toned look.  The fresh air, sun, trees, birdies, snowflakes…all create a tranquil experience which reduces those stressful feelings (and most city’s have a “green area” for you to get this feeling).  And after being outside you WILL sleep better!

So stop worrying about the weight and promise yourself to get outside and move it a bit more.  There’s no pass/fail.  By committing to get outside, whether it’s for a sweat session or a mind-clearing, it’s always a win.

I’m committing to increasing my ski touring to once/week.  What about you?