Prairie Fare: Simple Steps to Staying Fit During the Cold Months

October 7, 2004

Prairie Fare: Simple Steps to Staying Fit During the Cold Months

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Whenever the weather cools, I tend to go into survival mode. I don’t think I’m alone in this. Lately, as the temperature has dropped from 60 degrees during the day to 30 degrees overnight, I find myself becoming more patient about waiting.

I cruise parking lots, waiting for parking spaces closest to the building. I leave early for meetings so I can amble through warm buildings instead of briskly walking outside.

I suppose there’s a simple solution here. I could retrieve my cozy winter jacket and gloves from storage and come to terms with the fact that winter is approaching. I should be enjoying the “crisp” fall mornings. After all, in a couple of months, 30 or 40 degrees is going to seem positively balmy.

As we enjoy the last warm days of the season, it’s important to think about some simple steps to staying physically active during the upcoming season. We have a collective trend of physical inactivity we need to break in the United States.

In North Dakota, for example, the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that about 22 percent of adults did not participate in any physical activity in the previous month. I’m sure the survey subjects at least had to go from the kitchen to the bathroom on occasion. That doesn’t count.

Inactivity and poor nutrition play roles in the current obesity epidemic. About 62 percent of North Dakota adults are overweight or obese, a statistic that’s grown from 47 percent in 1990. Sedentary lifestyles are also linked to diabetes, strokes, cancer and heart disease.

What can we do to break this trend? If you’ve shunned physical activity, it’s never too late to get moving. These are some simple steps to staying in shape or to shape up.

Consider trying a few:

Hop off the couch and change the TV channel manually, or better yet, turn off the TV.
Take a 30-minute walk inside a mall. Yes, 10-minute segments of physical activity count toward the goal in case you spot a sale item you can’t ignore.
When the holidays roll around, choose toys for kids, grandkids or yourself that promote physical activity (balls, jump ropes, etc).
Turn on some music and dance when it’s cold outside. You don’t need a partner.
Use the stairs instead of the elevators.
Wear a pedometer, a step-counting device, and record your totals.
Rake leaves for the time being and shovel snow in a couple of months.
Chop and stack wood.
Take your dog or your neighbor’s dog for a walk or take your neighbor for a walk!
Check out what winter activities, like cross country skiing, are available in your area.

After enjoying some activity, enjoy a cup of hot tea.

Cranberry Tea

4 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 c. cranberry juice cocktail
12 whole cloves
4 tea bags

Bring first three ingredients to a boil and cover. Let sit 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and remove pan from heat. Add tea bags and allow to steep for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove. Add cranberry juice and return to boil. Serve hot in mugs.

Makes 6 servings. Each serving has 65 calories, 0.1 grams of fat and 17 grams of carbohydrate.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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