As the winter months continue to drag on, finding ways to stay active can be challenging. Especially when you live in colder climates when winters get snowy, windy, cold, and feel especially long. There are multiple ways in which you can stay active and healthy during the cold winter months, whether you are outside or inside.
If you are someone who likes to work out outside and in the natural environment, even though the cold may be stopping others from venturing, it does not have to restrict you from the outdoors. In fact, there are some advantages to working out in the cold versus working out in the heat and humidity. The cold will have you feeling awake and motivated to get warm quickly. The cold weather may also allow you to work out longer due to not overheating, and in turn, can allow you to burn more calories.
When working out in the cold, you still have to make sure you are being safe as the wintry weather brings some challenges. Making sure to have the proper and comfortable amount of layers is crucial to keep the bitter cold out and the heat in. Understanding the signs of hypothermia is also important to ensure you know when to stop and get inside. Some symptoms might be a lack of coordination, slurred speech, shivering, or sleepiness. Understanding that just because you may not be sweating as much or maybe cold does not mean you don’t have to stay hydrated while exercising. Some ways to exercise or stay active outside include walking, running, shoveling snow, ice skating, or even cross-country skiing.
If you are someone who would prefer to stay active indoors, our community offers many options to do so. Some of the gyms located in Bloomington are Train Bloomington Fitness Center, Anytime Fitness, Iron Pit Gym, Hoosier Crossfit, Orangetheory Fitness, the YMCA, and Planet Fitness. All of these gyms have different hours, classes, and focuses to allow you to find one that fits your schedule and needs best.
If you’d rather stay within the walls of your own home, there are still many ways to stay active and healthy. Creating a small home gym is a great option and can be inexpensive with only the purchase of resistance bands and small dumbbells. There are also many options for finding at-home workouts on the internet using exercise apps or joining virtual classes. These classes can include workouts like cardio, yoga, pilates, strength training, and even boxing. There are many ways to create workouts or ways to stay active around the house as well. Activities like doing lunges down the hall, doing sit-ups or pushups during commercial breaks, or even just walking around the house every 30 minutes can keep you active and healthy.
Although the winter season can make it more difficult to stay physically active, there are still many opportunities to prioritize your health and well-being. Get creative and get moving, so you can go into spring as a healthier version of yourself!
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