When the winter chill sets in it seems almost impossible to stay active in the winter, especially when the sun begins to set at 6:30pm. It is recommended to have 150 minutes of moderately intense activity each week. You can break this down into smaller chunks to make it more manageable by doing short bursts of daily activity.
Outdoor Activities
You can still workout outdoors in the winter months. Sometimes it’s even more enjoyable than a scorching hot day! If the weather permits continue to go for outdoor walks and jogs. The winter months can even mean a chance to do some different types of activities. Give ice skating, sledding, snowboarding, or cross-country skiing a go.
Winter Activewear
Deciding what is best to wear outdoors in the winter takes a bit more thought than just throwing on a tank top and a pair of athletic shorts.
The best way to dress is in layers. This means wearing a few different layers of clothing that can easily be removed to adjust to your level of chill and exercise level. The first layer should be a thin, sweat-wicking material layered on with additional warm tops.
Look at the tags of your clothing to conform they aren’t cotton. This material will absorb your sweat and any moisture you come in contact with. This can result in holding the cold to you. Worse, there’s a greater chance of hypothermia.
Keep Hydrated!
A sports drink with electrolytes like Gatorade or Powerade (there are also now powders and tablets as an option) is great at restoring mineral levels, but not necessary unless exercising for at least an hour.
These options have sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Good news, you don’t actually need a branded sports drink. You can restore your levels with normal everyday food.
Dehydration begins before you’re even thirsty. Be sure you are drinking plenty of water throughout your day, especially before, during, and after your workout.
The Cold, Hard Truth
Getting outside can be intimidating, but at least there’s some additional benefits!
With the winter comes seasonal depression. This isn’t something to be ashamed of. It happens. Exercising, especially in the exhilarating outdoors and help fight those winter blues.
Not only this, the winter activities can actually help your immune system better defend against the flu and other viruses that may be going around.
If you can manage to get outdoors while the sun is still shining you get to absorb vitamin D, which is always good to be getting more of!
As with all exercise and activity, you still are releasing endorphins AKA the happy hormones!
Indoor Activities to Stay Active in the Winter
If outdoor activities isn’t an option for you for part of the year it just means it’s time to switch it up. There’s always something you can do!
Go for a walk in your local mall. It’s likely you’ve seen an older crowd doing this before and they’re onto something! A mall is a large indoor area that is free to roam. Classifying yourself as a mallwalker can become a badge of honor showing you are staying active.
If walking isn’t your thing try an online video. Just as previous generations had VHS tapes and DVDs to workout to we now have YouTube to provide all the free classes one could want! A homeworkout can get you sweating as you would outdoors or just get you moving!
If the budget is a bit larger and space isn’t an issue consider investing in a piece of larger machinery. A Peloton is an indoor cycling bike but cost about $2,000. If the price is a bit steep there are other great options with a smaller price tag.
You can find a perfectly good treadmill delivered for free with Amazon Prime at a fraction of the price. If you would prefer to purchase a set of dumbells to include weight training in your day, be cautious. Typically the price is for a single dumbell, when you would usually need a pair.
Have you ever heard of ClassPass? It is a website and app where you can purchase credits then use those to take classes at different facilities throughout your (and other) towns. This way you can try your hand at an abundance of classes. I recommend giving a TITLE boxing class and barre class a try!
You could also try:
- Bowling
- Yoga
- Stretching
- Roller skating
- Local class
- Housework
Do you have any other ideas? Leave them in the comments below so others can try them out too!
While keeping active you also want to maintain your vitamin C levels. Read my article, What Even is Vitamin C?
Leave a Reply