How to Stay Active in Winter Months

Between the loss of daylight and plunging temps, many people tend to stay in during the winter months, forgoing active endeavors for more sedentary ones that can be done indoors. However, according to the HealthPartners, a sedentary lifestyle can have strong negative mental and physical health impacts, including increasing risks for heart disease, blood pressure, high cholesterol, stress, anxiety, and depression. 

While physical activity might look different in the winter time, there are several ways to stay active throughout the colder months.

Pick up a winter sport

There are a number of sports that take place primarily in the wintertime, including downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and hockey. Joining local sports teams is a fun way to learn something new and make new friends while staying active throughout the winter. 

Gear up and explore the outdoors 

Each season provides a new landscape to explore the outdoors in. While colder temperatures will necessitate warmer gear, typically worn in layers, it should not dissuade you from exploring the outdoors. Many regional parks provide winter programming in addition to offering snowshoe or cross-country ski trails. Frozen lakes allow for a wide variety of winter activities, from ice fishing to skating, and many people enjoy the opportunity to get out onto them and explore. Wearing a moisture wicking base layer, a warm insulating middle layer, and a waterproof outer layer can help keep you comfortable despite cold and snowy weather. 

Build your home workout space

If the thought of leaving your house in the winter seems off-putting, there are still ways to remain active while staying at home. At-home workouts gained significant popularity during pandemic lockdowns, and are widely available in a number of different formats. While you can purchase different types of equipment to use, such as treadmills or free weights, many workouts can be done simply with body weight exercises. Dedicating a specific space in your home for workouts and sticking to a consistent routine are key for building a habit around home workouts and achieving goals you set for yourself.

Join your local gym

Joining a local gym is an excellent way to stay active throughout the winter. Gyms provide an environment for you to work out in regardless of the season, and can be particularly helpful in the colder months where outdoor activities may be slightly limited. Additionally, gyms create a community of folks to help inspire you to stay consistent in your workouts, from trainers who want to help you meet your goals to friends you make in fitness classes. For many people, working out with others helps hold them accountable to showing up consistently and can be very motivating for staying active. 

Interested in joining a gym this winter? We offer a 14 day trial for you to try out our classes and see if our gym is right for you.