Winter has arrived, and depending on where you live, you might be dealing with snow, ice, dropping temperatures, and the strong urge to stay indoors under a warm blanket. For others, winter brings opportunities for activities that aren’t possible any other time of the year. No matter how you feel about it, winter is here.
For those who love staying active but aren’t fond of the cold, finding ways to keep moving during this season can be tough. If snow isn’t your thing but you still want to stay active, you might have to get into winter sports, pick up outdoor hobbies, try winter versions of summer sports, or just find ways to stay active indoors.
The best way to choose a winter activity is to think about what you enjoy doing in the summer. If you like hiking, canoeing, or swimming, look into winter sports that keep you moving. Activities like snowshoeing, skiing, or ice skating are all great winter versions of the activities you love in the warmer months. These not only make winter more fun but also help you stay active.
Instead of cranking up the heat and hiding away all winter, try a winter sport to keep yourself interested in the outdoors and enjoy staying active. While some activities are more physically demanding than others, you don’t always need an intense workout to get moving. Winter hobbies like making snow angels, building snowmen, and sledding are great ways to spend time outside with a bit of exercise. You could also try metal detecting in the snow, which provides low-impact exercise for all ages.
For something more relaxed, consider ice fishing, bird watching, or photography. These hobbies require you to be outside and moving around, even though they aren’t strenuous. If you usually spend your summer hiking or walking your dog for an hour a day, snow angels or bird watching might not feel as fulfilling, but they still get you outside.
Cold weather doesn’t mean you have to give up the summer activities you love—you may just need to tweak them a bit. Camping, jogging, biking, and rock climbing can all be done in winter with some adjustments. Even surfing is an option with winter wetsuits. By modifying activities like snowshoeing to your camp spot, jogging with warmer clothes, using wider bike tires, or choosing a different rock climbing spot, you can still enjoy your favorite sports despite the cold.
For some, braving the cold isn’t an option, and staying inside is the only way. Luckily, indoor options like joining a gym, getting a home workout machine, doing a Wii workout, or focusing on simple at-home exercises can help you stay active. While many fun outdoor winter activities aren’t ideal for a daily workout, indoor routines like crunches, pushups, lunges, or yoga can keep you moving and warm.
The key is to stay active during these challenging months. For those who prefer active hobbies over a gym routine, it’s easy to fall into a lazy pattern. With choices like winter sports, outdoor hobbies, modified summer activities, and indoor workouts, it’s definitely possible to stay active during winter. Instead of spending your days on the couch watching Netflix, get out there and do something to keep yourself moving.
