As winter approaches – sometimes aggressively – we begin to wonder how we can burn off those extra calories. You would think that just staying warm would burn enough calories, but no, it never works that way. For many, personal training is the answer to motivation and variety. Here are some pointers for burning off calories and for exercising during the winter.

Running

Runners seem to be able to run no matter what the season. If you are a runner, congratulations. You can usually maintain your pace regardless of wind and weather. Sometimes, taking your running to an indoor track will make a big difference. This is when gym membership may come in handy, because they often have a track. You can also keep up this form of exercise with a high quality treadmill. The reason I say high quality is that many treadmills are not designed for runners. They are designed for walking, and have a particleboard deck. They also may not have the horsepower to keep up with a runner. Finally, the length of the tread on the treadmill should be sufficient for a jogger. Your running step is much longer than your walking step, and a short deck on a treadmill will change your running stride, causing problems.

Yoga

Yoga has emerged as one of the safest and most efficient forms of inside exercise. It does not require any equipment, unless you consider a mat to be equipment. People of all ages and physical fitness levels can participate in some level of yoga. It increases muscle tone and improves balance. It is good for your circulation, too, often helping to purge the body of impurities. The meditative aspect of yoga is also beneficial to helping people to lower stress levels, improving their overall health.

Cycling

Cycling is another activity that can be maintained through every season. You may enjoy cycling throughout the beautiful countryside, but sometimes, weather just does not cooperate. Gyms have cycling and spinning classes that can give you a thorough workout, working muscles you forgot you have.

Personal Training

Many people will hire a personal trainer to get their exercise levels up. This is a great way to burn calories, just because of the variety to your workout. Many people have turned to online personal trainers so that they can keep up with their personal training routines no matter where they are. A personal trainer will keep you motivated when you are too sore, too tired, or too apathetic to do it on your own. You have someone who is being paid to keep track of your exercise regimen, and he or she will take that seriously. Your personal trainer is also very inventive in ways to keep you working out. This can devious, at times, but never boring. With some inventiveness and a lot of determination, you can make sure that you get plenty of exercise. You can burn off calories and stay in shape, and feel good year round.

I was just reading a story today about one of the best gardens in Yorkshire and a bit of a social problem with the neighbours.

Tucked away in Yorkshire is a lovely garden, with metal garden planters, beautifully maintained trees, and a little gardener who is about to be sentenced to jail.

Danuta Cross, aged 64, is a past winner of the South Cave Gardening Competition. Her problems arose, she says, when her neighbors, Alexandra Smith aged 65 and David Mayhill aged 59, started stalking her as she gardened. She says that every time she goes out in her garden, they follow her around.

This constant scrutiny has been ongoing for a number of months, and police say they have not been able to collect any evidence. However, Cross said that at one point she was so “upset and shaken” that she began yelling at her neighbors. Mayhill and Smith then pressed charges for harassment.

Neighbors say that there has been an ongoing competition between the two houses to see how could have the most beautiful garden. This, however, has reached a point in which Cross says she wants to sell her house and move to get away from her neighbors’ scrutiny. She does not feel safe, and says she is not typically that angry.

Cross will be sentenced for harassment on October 29.

So let that be a lesson to you, be nice to your neighbours!

You know, there’s real truth behind the saying “fighting like cats and dogs”. It’s because these two animals don’t usually get along. However, there are some things you can do to ensure harmonious living between your cats and dogs.

Raise Them Together

If you have the option, raise your kittens and puppies together. When we moved to a farm, I was 10. Dad brought home a black and white puppy (a border collie) and a black and white kitten. The two were best buds their whole lives. We still tell stories about these two and their antics. When you rase the two together, they learn each other’s body language early on. This enables both the dog and the cat to recognize when they have pushed the other too far. Plus, they really learn to like each other.

Choose Breeds Wisely

Almost all cats are predatory. They have a very strong prey drive – that’s why they pounce on anything that moves. Some really sweet cats learn to play without using their claws, but if they haven’t been raised that way, they will use their claws to grab on. It is the act of pulling away that causes claw marks.

Some dogs are nurturing, and some are prey driven. We have two Alaskan Malamutes. This breed was developed to hunt for its own food in the harsh environs of Alaska, eating anything that moves. This does not mix well with our Tabby cat. We NEVER leave our Mals alone with the cat, because even though she has her claws, our dogs have demonstrated that they can work as a team, with one distracting while the other goes in for the kill. That’s how they get the opossum and raccoons that wander into our yard.

We also have a collie – the kind that looks like Lassie. This is a very nurturing dog, who is protective of his lambs. His lambs are anything in his house and yard, including the cat. The drawback to this is that the collie wants to play chase with the cat, which triggers the prey drive in our Mals.

Introduce Calmly

If yours is to be a “blended family” of pets, with rescued animals or pets that belong to your new spouse or stepchildren, you can take precautions to ease the introduction. First of all, try to introduce the animals in a neutral environment. Cats and dogs both can be very territorial, and if you bring a strange animal into your home, the pet that already lives there might react differently than he would in a neutral area.

Also, try to introduce the animals at eye level. If there is any aggression or fear, remove both animals for a few minutes and try again. Keep this up until they are bored with the activity, and ignore the other animal.

Always Supervise

Allowing your cat to “teach the dog a lesson” can result in a blind dog and expensive vet bills. By the same token, you don’t want to end up with a dead cat. Always supervise their interactions.

Keeping your garden picturesque can be a lot of work, but the payoff is worth is. Gardeners take hope in the beautiful blooms, healthy shrubbery, and velvet grasses that make up their gardens. And, whether you do all the work yourself or hire some of it done, the reward is a beautiful garden and a healthier planet.

Winterizing

Now is the time to winterize your lawn. Most lawn services will winterize it, if you do not know what to do. Basically, you put down a fertilizer that will boost the roots and make them stronger so that they can survive freezes and slow snow melt. You don’t want to mow it down at this stage, because the grass will hold snow in place and allow it to melt, rather than blow away or run off.

Pruning

This is also the time to consider pruning your trees and shrubs. For deciduous trees, wait until the sap has retreated to the roots. This will keep the tree from being weakened. Once the trees have lost their leaves, you can see the branching patterns better. It is easier to identify branches that are rubbing against each other and remove them, and thin out the canopy.

Most shrubs that are evergreen do not need pruning. They will have colorful berries this time of year. However, once the berries have all been eaten by neighborhood birds and squirrels, you may want to trim them back to the size you want. The spring growth spurt will make up for any over-pruning you do.

Some shrubs, such as roses, do much better if you trim them back. Find out the specifics for your type of roses. By cutting them back, they will have much more vigorous growth in the spring, with larger, healthier blooms.

Mulching

Now is also the best time to mulch your flower beds and tree bases. Make sure that the mulch does not pile up on the trunks of trees, as this can strangle the tree and rob it of oxygen. Many homeowners rake up the leaves from the lawn and use them as mulch. The problem with this is that, as the leaves decompose, they can leach nutrients from the soil. It is better to compost leaves and let them decompose to the point where they begin to put nutrients into the soil, rather than leach them out. Other gardeners prefer commercially processed mulch. The mulch not only protects the roots from all but the coldest of temperatures, it holds in moisture, chokes out weeds, and looks really nice in the winter landscape.

Planters

The winter landscape can be rather bleak. But, you can brighten up the garden with well-placed ceramic plant pots and flower planters with colourful winter plants. Holly bushes covered with red berries, cabbage and kale with pretty blues and greens, Nandina shrubs with their varied colours of foliage and bright crimson berries, and pansies can all add color, motion, and texture to your winter garden. If you don’t know how to care for these plants, contact a landscaper. It is well worth the investment.