6 Ways to Stay Active During Winter
When the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter, it becomes really easy to find yourself being less active. Instead of keeping up with our fitness routines, winter months may have us hearing the siren call of the couch! The truth is, however, that learning how to stay active during the winter is all the more important as it can help prevent those pesky holiday pounds and even help with our immune system function.
Today, we’re taking a look at six ways to stay active during winter that you can add to your daily routine. If you’re not up for venturing far from home this season, you can still find a plethora of ways to maintain an active lifestyle!
How to Stay Active During Winter
We know it can be difficult to stay active during winter. Colder temperatures, slippery conditions, and shorter daylight hours all make for easy reasons to want to stay inside and relax. The winter months also come with added health challenges, however, such as extra stress, common illnesses, and finding ways to avoid holiday weight gain.
Keeping physically active may improve sleep quality, assist with at-home anxiety relief, boost your immune system, and even potentially help you beat the winter blues. Learning how to stay active during the winter months isn’t difficult, though. To help you with ways to stay active during winter, check out these activities:
- Join a gym or health club
- Play indoor sports
- Find creative ways to get a full body workout at home
- Take the stairs
- Go for a walk on nice days
- Do those chores
Join a Gym to Stay Active During Winter
The first item on our list of ways to stay active during winter is probably the most obvious one. Joining a gym or health club can be a great way to stay active while also getting you out of the house during the winter months. Staying inside and away from others can cause cabin fever in some people, so having a place to go outside of the home can improve mental health, as well!
Playing Indoor Sports in Winter
Another easy way to stay active during winter while avoiding the cold is by playing indoor sports. Sports like basketball, volleyball, and racquetball are all great options to bring athletics inside. Whether you’re playing with friends, family, or as part of a local intramural league, playing indoor sports in winter will help you stay fit and may even help boost your immune system performance.
Check your local gyms, sport facilities, or parks for indoor court options you can use.
Get Creative With a Full Body Workout at Home
Finding ways to stay active during winter isn’t limited to going to a gym or sports facility. If you prefer to stay home and avoid being out in the cold weather, getting a full body workout at home can be just as effective.
Don’t have space for a home gym? No worries! Getting a full body workout doesn’t require you to have fancy lifting equipment. In fact, you may be surprised at the ways you can get creative to get your home workout in the winter.
For example, using a zero gravity chair or recliner can serve as a base to do your daily fitness routine. Sitting down isn’t all bad, we promise (check out how zero gravity recliners can help avoid health problems from sitting all day). What matters is what you’re sitting in, breaking bad sitting habits, and making sure you stay healthy and active! Using a zero gravity chair, you can do full body workout exercises such as:
- Core building exercises
- Quad lifts
- Back stretch and neck stretches
- Squats
- Tricep dips
Regardless of whether you’re using a home gym or a zero gravity chair for your winter workout, be sure you’re also taking care of your body with a post workout recovery routine. Keeping your body in top shape will help you stay active during winter and avoid downtime due to sports injuries, muscle tension, or other physical ailments.
Note: Before beginning any new fitness routines, be sure to consult a medical professional to ensure it’s safe for you to do so.
Take the Stairs
This method for how to stay active during the winter is so simple you may not have even considered it! Your home, apartment building, or office may have stairs. Instead of waiting for the elevator, take the stairs! Not only does this help get in more steps each day, but it can help elevate your heart rate and functions as a great fat-burning exercise.
Walking or Jogging to Stay Active During Winter
We know that going outside in the colder months may not appeal to everyone, but for those who do want to venture out, taking advantage of the nicer days during the season is a way to stay active during winter. Even a 20 minute walk can be enough to elevate your heart rate and improve circulation. Walking with a partner can also make for a great way to add a social element to your workout. Additionally, getting as much natural sunlight as possible during winter months has been shown as a potential method for treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Note: If you experience feelings of depression that you believe may be more than SAD, please seek out a medical professional right away for help.
Doing Chores Helps You Stay Active
Last up on our list may be the least fun method for how to stay active during the winter, but it’s effective nonetheless! Doing those chores around the house or running your errands can keep you up and moving around more than you may realize. Even a trip to the grocery can get in additional steps you would’ve missed by having them delivered or avoiding that chore altogether.
Other household chores like sweeping, mopping, and dusting count, too! Who knew that cleaning the furniture for hosting family during the holidays would count as a workout?
As you have learned, finding ways to stay active during the winter can be really easy. Whether you’re joining a gym, choosing a zero gravity chair for home workout and recovery, or simply doing chores around the house, keeping active is what’s important. Not only can it help you meet fitness goals, but it may also prevent common winter illnesses, as well. This winter, look after your mental and physical health by keeping up your active lifestyle. You’ll be glad you did!
Zero gravity chairs are good for more than exercising. To learn more about the potential health benefits of zero gravity chairs, check out these resources:
