7 ways to be active during cold weather
You don’t have to let cold weather stop you from exercising. But it happens.
You know…you wake up early to exercise. Then you look out the window and check the temperature, and it’s nasty. Cold, wind, rain, snow, maybe all three.
If you don’t have a backup plan for exercising during cold weather, you might skip exercise for sleeping in or at least staying home. That ever happen?
Only 23 percent of adults get enough exercise daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.1 Even fewer people exercise when Old Man Winter shows up.2
Maybe it doesn’t make sense to exercise outdoors at some point during the winter. For example, on Jan. 20, 1985 Chicago, Ill., recorded its coldest temperature ever…-27°F. That’s cold!
Is that too cold to exercise? For most people, that might be a “yes.” But it’s still possible.
Here’s an example. There’s a 26.2-mile marathon at the North Pole where temperatures are usually a chilly -4 to -40°F and the chance of polar bear attacks are real. But that doesn’t deter dozens of runners from dressing in layers to go the distance.
If that sounds a little extreme, you’re not alone. However, if winter weather appears to be too cold, wet, or messy for you to get outside, you can still be active…indoors.
Here are 7 ways to exercise indoors during winter weather:
- Take a brisk walk through your local mall.
- Find an indoor pool where you can go swimming
- Go to the gym to lift weights, cycle, or use the treadmill.
- Attend an indoor fitness class (yoga, bootcamp, kickboxing)
- Play a sport indoors (basketball, pickleball, volleyball, maybe even dodgeball)
- Find an exercise video, and follow along in your living room.
- Use fitness equipment. Walk, jog or run on a treadmill. Or use a stationary bike.
The next time Old Man Winter pays you a visit, and you think it’s too cold outside to exercise, pick one of these activities or something else and exercise indoors.
The goal: Be active at least 30 minutes a day, even when it’s cold outside.