Winter has arrived, and depending on where you live, you might be dealing with snow, ice, and dropping temperatures. While some of us feel an urge to stay cozy indoors, others see winter as an opportunity for unique activities.
Staying active when you dislike the cold can be tricky. However, you can embrace winter sports, take on outdoor hobbies, adapt summer activities, or look for indoor ways to keep moving.
To pick the best winter activity for you, think about what you enjoy in the summer. If you love hiking, canoeing, or swimming, you might find winter sports like snowshoeing, skiing, or ice skating appealing. These activities not only break the monotony of winter but also keep you active and engaged.
Instead of cranking up the heat and staying inside all winter, try a sport that will make you enjoy the outdoors and keep you fit. Some winter activities are vigorous, but others offer low-impact exercise and still get you outside.
Making snow angels, building snowmen, and sledding are fun, semi-active ways to enjoy the outdoors. Metal detecting in the snow is another great low-impact exercise that’s suitable for all ages. Ice fishing, bird watching, and photography are other outdoor hobbies that keep you moving without intense physical effort.
If you’re a summer enthusiast who usually spends an hour a day hiking or walking your dog, low-impact activities might not satisfy you. But they still provide a way to get outside.
You don’t have to stop your favorite summer activities just because it’s cold. You can modify camping, jogging, bike riding, and rock climbing to suit winter conditions. Even surfing is possible with winter-specific wetsuits.
Outdoor exercise doesn’t need to end with cooler weather. Snowshoeing to a campsite, jogging with warmer clothes, using wider bike tires, or finding a new climbing spot can help you adapt your summer sports for winter.
For those who can’t handle the cold or simply don’t want to go outside, working out indoors is the best option. Joining a gym, investing in home workout equipment, using a Wii workout, or focusing on easy home exercises are all ways to stay active. While winter sports are fun, they may not fit into a daily workout routine easily.
If you prefer staying indoors, you can still work out by doing crunches, pushups, lunges around the living room, or some at-home yoga to keep active and warm.
It’s important to keep moving during these challenging winter months, especially for those who prefer activities over gym routines. By exploring winter sports, outdoor hobbies, modifying summer activities, and indoor workouts, you can stay active instead of spending all day Netflix-bingeing under a blanket.