No Time to Stop Exercising

Outside it's cold and the snow is swirling, so why not put that fitness program on hold? After all, bears hibernate. Wrong-headed, says Dr. Ed McFarland of Johns Hopkins University Hospital writing in InteliHealth. McFarland says it could be even more important to exercise in winter than at other times of the year -- to keep your weight down while eating heavier winter fare and to boost mental health and battle the winter blues. To maximize health benefits from regular exercise, you must exercise all year, McFarland says. And don't forget the cardiac benefits of exercise -- especially since a recent study found there are 53 percent more heart attacks in the cold months than there are in the summer. If all those reasons to exercise don't make you want to get back on your fitness program, you might consider doing it just to get ready for spring. Injuries are common among people trying to get back into shape after a winter layoff, McFarland says.