Jackson Free Press

In a couple of months, bears, reptiles and other animals will all but disappear. No, this isn't because I can see the future and know they're going extinct. The chill in the air and the leaves falling is a sign for those creatures that it's time to go find shelter for the winter.

Bears and snakes, they hibernate. Humans? Not so much. Eventually, Mississippi does get cold(ish), but just because you can't feel your face doesn't mean you have to stay inside and lay on the couch all winter. Get outside. Get active. Or stay inside and get active.

Here are few ways to do that.

Exercise indoors

It's obvious but needs to be said. If you have a gym membership, go there. If not, take advantage of your indoor surroundings. Do chin-ups with a heavy book on your feet, use the books to lift "weights" or just jump around. You can find plenty of stay-at-home exercises on Pinterest. A good idea to keep you moving is to make motivation jars. Get two jars and some large Popsicle sticks. Label the jars with "workouts" and "done." Write a type of exercise on each stick and how many minutes to do it. Color-code them depending on the category, such as cardio, and put it in the first jar. Pick one, and when you're done, throw the stick in the other jar. Seeing the sticks in the "done" jar will give you a feeling of satisfaction.

Take up an active hobby

Regular exercise just isn't fun, and running or walking in the cold is brutal, so why not try to get involved in something a little more unconventional. Maybe you could take up martial arts or join a team of some kind, like roller derby. Find something that makes you forget what you're doing. Or instead of taking up one hobby, why not keep yourself busy with multiple ones? Find random classes to take. Many fitness instructors do classes on their own, so you don't have to join a gym.

Yoga

It's not exactly the most taxing workout (though I've been sore for days after intense sessions), but even doing 20 minutes is still exercise. It quiets your mind, and you can basically do it anywhere that has enough space. Get a yoga mat and blocks (books also work), a sturdy blanket and a yoga strap or a belt, and then either find a video on YouTube, buy a book or DVD, or check out some of the local yoga classes at places like StudiOm or Butterfly Yoga. For more information, see page 26.

Go shopping

It may seem strange, but think about it: You are walking around and for the most part, you don't have to deal with the cold. Yes, grocery shopping counts, especially if you're like me and tend to spend a couple of hours perusing the aisles.

Clean

It burns calories, believe it or not. An hour of deep cleaning burns about 170 calories, and while that doesn't seem like much, think of all you could do to get your house sparkly in an hour or two. I'm sure fans and furniture may need some dusting, and have you looked under your couch lately?

Dance

Go dancing or just put on some music and go crazy. It may feel silly at first, but after a while, you'll start enjoying it. In just 30 minutes, you can burn about 200 calories.