Winter has arrived, and depending on your location, you might be facing snow, ice, and freezing temperatures that make staying under a warm blanket tempting. But for some, winter brings unique opportunities for activities that aren’t available during other seasons. Regardless of your preference, winter is here…
For those who love staying active but aren’t fans of the cold, it can be a challenge to keep moving during this time of year. If snow isn’t your thing but you still want to stay active, consider embracing winter sports, exploring outdoor hobbies, adapting summer activities, or finding ways to stay active indoors.
The best way to choose a winter activity is to think about what you enjoy in the summer. If hiking, canoeing, or swimming are your go-tos, you might enjoy winter sports that offer similar movement and excitement. Snowshoeing, skiing, and ice skating are great cold-weather alternatives that not only keep you active but also help break up the winter monotony.
Instead of cranking up the heat and hibernating, try a new sport to stay engaged with the outdoors and keep your body moving. While some activities are more intense than others, not every winter hobby needs to be a full-body workout. Low-impact outdoor activities can still get you out of the house and moving.
Making snow angels, building snowmen, and sledding are fun, lighthearted ways to stay active. You could even try metal detecting in the snow, which offers gentle exercise and a sense of adventure. Ice fishing, bird watching, and photography also require time outdoors and light movement, even if they’re not physically demanding.
If you’re someone who usually hikes or walks daily in the summer, these lighter activities might not feel as satisfying, but they’re still a way to stay active and enjoy the outdoors. And just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite summer sports—you just need to adapt them.
Camping, jogging, biking, and rock climbing can all be modified for winter. Even surfing is possible with the right wetsuit. Staying active outdoors doesn’t have to end with the warm weather; it just takes a few adjustments. Snowshoeing to a campsite, jogging in thermal gear, using wider bike tires, or finding a winter-friendly climbing spot are all ways to keep your favorite activities going.
Of course, for some, braving the cold just isn’t an option. If you prefer to stay indoors, there are still plenty of ways to stay active. Join a gym, invest in home workout equipment, try a fitness video game, or focus on simple at-home exercises. While outdoor winter activities are fun, they’re not always practical for daily workouts.
That’s why many people opt for indoor routines like crunches, pushups, lunges, or yoga in the comfort of their living room. The most important thing is to keep moving during these months, which can be the hardest time to stay active.
If you’re someone who prefers activity-based movement over structured workouts, it’s easy to lose motivation in winter. But with options like winter sports, outdoor hobbies, modified summer activities, and indoor workouts, staying active is entirely possible—even if it just means getting up and doing something instead of binge-watching shows under a blanket.
