Staying Active During the Winter
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We are entering the winter months, and depending on where you live, it may have already been cold for a while! Staying active in the winter is hard for many reasons. You could live somewhere that gets below zero, making it absolutely miserable to venture outside, let alone get out of your cozy bed. You may live somewhere that is wet during the winter, and who wants to be the girl running down the wet road with a newscaster on the sidewalk, slip and fall? Hopefully, y’all know the reference! But, if you don’t, we all know how rain makes us feel- usually sad. The last thing we want is to have a winter gain, though. This article is going to give all the tips on staying active in the winter months, so you can continue making progress during your fitness journey.
Warmer Workout Clothes
Walking Track
Winter Sports
Indoor Facility
Home Gym & Home Workouts
Virtual Classes
Accountability Partner
PLUS, A BONUS!!!
Warmer Attire
This might seem like an obvious, but if you are new to working out, you may not know all the different types of gear you can get for working out in colder months. You don’t want to get caught on a five-mile run with your hands burning 30 minutes in.
- Try using hand and feet warmers! These will help significantly in warming up your hands, and if you get tired of holding them, you can place them in your pocket until you need them again.
- Wear layers! The funny thing about working out in the winter is that you eventually get warm. You want to wear layers so you can take off your jacket or sweatpants as you get warmed up.
- Make sure you have good socks! If you participate in outdoor activities or jog for extended periods of time in the cold, you will find that your toes will get extremely cold. This is one of the most uncomfortable things to me! Wearing a good pair of thick winter socks solves this problem so you don’t have to worry about your little toesies.
- Other items you might consider are ear-muffs, gloves, moisture-wicking materials, rain jackets, beanies, and reflective materials if you are outdoors.
Walking Track
I cannot recommend this walking track enough (Amazon)! I spend so much time sitting while homeschooling my kids, writing blogs, and editing videos. Sometimes, I only get around 5k or 6k steps if I am not purposefully active throughout the day. Add winter into the mess, and it really hinders my activity because I usually go outdoors. When I found this walking track, I immediately got 5k steps before starting my day! I set it by my bed, and when I am ready to get up in the morning, I walk for 30 minutes. I can move it to the living room and walk while watching a show with my family, or I can take it upstairs and walk while I read with my kids in our reading room. It is so lightweight and easy to store. For anyone working from home, I highly recommend getting a walking track to get 10k or 20k steps a day. Trust me, your activity levels will not go down this winter if you have one.
Winter Sports
Hide the fact that you are trying to stay active! If workout routines are not your thing, try activities like skiing, snowboarding, or ice skating! These sports will not only be fun but also distract you from the fact that you are getting a great cardio workout. Winter hiking is another activity that will disguise itself as fitness because it is so peaceful and beautiful to walk in the crisp winter air or on a fresh snowfall. For those of you who are thinking: there is no way I’m going outside to participate in winter sports! Don’t worry; I am right there with you. But I know people who enjoy being outside, EVEN in the cold months. One of my friends ran seven miles in the dead of winter. There was snow on the ground, and we were up in the mountains on a retreat! Winter sports might motivate those outdoor lovers to stay active during the winter.
Indoor Facility
If you are not the outdoorsy type, then you should try indoor facilities. I know it is hard to justify a gym membership in the summertime because there is less of an excuse to get outside and walk or play some sand volleyball, but it is perfectly reasonable to use a gym in the wintertime. Today, there are so many inexpensive gym memberships, and some even have the ability to pause! I have had a gym membership to Planet Fitness for over two years, and I pay $25 a month, but I get to bring a friend and use their extra amenities. If you are working out solo, you can find memberships for even cheaper than that!
Home Gym & Home Workouts
If indoor facilities aren’t your thing, maybe now is the time to invest in a few pieces and start building out a home gym. You don’t need much space at all! Over the last 12 years, I have collected weights and gym equipment for the best possible setup, so I have no excuses! However, some of the houses we’ve lived in haven’t had as much space as others. In that case, my home gym consists of a few dumbbells, a mini barbell, resistance bands, and a few weighted plates. If you can’t afford much right now, start with a set of resistance bands (Amazon). I’ll link my favorite ones, but these bands won’t roll up on you while exercising, which is super important.
But say you don’t want to focus on strength training in another post called Transform Your Fitness Journey, so go check that out for a list of accounts that might be good for you to start with. There are always paid apps if you are willing to splurge a little bit, though.
Beach Body On Demand
EvolveYou
Strava
Sweat
Shreddy App
I have personally used the top three, but the other two are highly recommended on Google. I love the EvolveYou App, and I pay quarterly to use it. Beach Body On Demand is a really good app. It provides ample cardio routines and programs you can easily follow in your home.
Virtual Classes
If you are looking for a little more accountability than just working out on your own, try virtual classes or gym classes. I know so many people who schedule classes online or at their local gym. This is a highly effective route because you usually have to pay a small fee or get docked if you cancel the class. A forced option may be good for you in the beginning as you learn to create habits and discipline throughout the winter months.
Accountability Partner
Depending on where you live, the winter can feel isolating and gloomy. I lived in Connecticut for two years and it was cold nine months out of the year. I was absolutely miserable living out there and found it extremely difficult to stay motivated during those cold days. The only thing that seemed to help me was having someone to work out or walk with. An accountability partner means you aren’t doing hard things alone! Over the years, I have had several workout accountability partners. Sometimes, we commit to a 30 day program and meet up throughout the week to workout. Other times, we have a texting group where we share our 90 day goals and check in at the end of each day, sharing whether we met our activity goal or not. If you can do nothing else on this list, do THIS! An accountability partner will change your life. Make sure you find someone who is just as motivated about staying active as you are, though.
BONUS!
If you made it to the end of this post, you deserve a bonus option, which is: take advantage of the weather! It may be cold, wet, and snowy, but that shouldn’t hold you back from prioritizing your health. The snow has great resistance on its own. Get out there and walk around in it for 15-20 minutes. Obviously, you will want to dress warm, but your heart rate will go up and your body will warm itself! Don’t be afraid of using the cold months to your advantage. If it is wet and slushy outside, be careful, but put on some slip-resistance shoes and make your way around the neighborhood. It really can be so refreshing for your mental wellbeing, too.
You may have considered all of these options in the past, but the point is to think about your health NOW. If you are looking to stay more active this winter, start new fitness habits, and create more discipline around your overall health, then you have to start by choosing any of these options listed above. In the past, you haven’t gotten a gym membership because of one excuse after another; well, today, you get that membership! You have goals, and there is no better time than now to make progress toward reaching them. But you have to choose one! You have to commit to doing what makes the most sense to you and your lifestyle. You can’t read blogs and watch videos on how to stay motivated during the winter and not take the advice they are giving to you. Ultimately, you will have to pick something reasonable and do it for the next three or four months. Imagine where you could be in three months if you choose one of these options and implement it today! I’m so excited for you!!
