Get fit this winter: 7 ideas that really work

Are you one of those people who are fairly active in the spring and summer months, but once winter comes around, exercise goes out the window?

I am.

In an effort to be more active this winter, I have been brainstorming ways that I can stay fit for less and not let myself slowly add on the pounds while I sit around indoors because it’s “too cold” to go outside.

Here are a few things that I came up with:

1. Go for a walk.
I’m going to be honest – I really don’t like working out and avoid it at all costs. I’m not sure what it is, but lifting weights and riding an exercise bike really just don’t get me all that excited. However, I do love walking (and running) because they are activities that don’t feel like workouts.

Going for a walk in the winter is a great workout because it’s a bit more strenuous to have to trudge through the snow.

2. Go skiing.
Skiing is an excellent way to burn calories and lose weight. It also helps to speed up your metabolism and the rate at which you burn calories.

Oh top of that, it’s a ton of fun! (Of course, this fun activity will have to wait until next year when I’m not pregnant!).

3. Build a snowman.
When it comes to staying fit and/or losing weight, the most important thing you can do is just keep moving. You don’t have to do an intense workout, just keep your heart rate up!

Try something as simple as building a snowman or snow fort in your front/back yard.

4. Go tobogganing.
Tobogganing is another fun way to stay fit this winter. Sliding down hills is the easy part, but what will really get you in shape is constantly making your way up those steep hills.

5. Shovel some snow.
Unless you have a snow blower, shovelling show is something that we all have to do many times throughout the winter months. The good thing is that not only will you have a clear sidewalk and/or driveway when you’re done, but you’ll have just had an excellent workout, too!

6. Go ice skating.
Lace up your skates and do a bit of ice skating this winter to get in some cardio. If you can, try to find an outdoor ice rink and make your body work a bit harder (it’s more difficult to skate when you’re all bundled up in winter apparel).

7. Exercise indoors.
If there’s a bad storm or you’re really just not a fan of being outdoors in the winter, you can always just get your exercise done indoors. Despite what many people think, you don’t need fancy exercise equipment to work out at home.

Run up and down the stairs a few times, do squats while you watch TV, or pop in an exercise DVD and get down to business.

Just because the temperatures have dropped, doesn’t mean you need to hibernate until they go back up again. It’s easy to stay in the house instead of getting outside and pushing yourself to be active, but if you don’t find some way to keep moving during the winter, it’s almost guaranteed that you will have some extra weight to lose come summertime.

I encourage you to try to find a way to be active every day, whether you do a full-on workout, or something as simple as vacuuming your house (A 150-pound person can burn approximately 238 calories per hour vacuuming the house) – just keep moving! Living an active lifestyle is one of those things that’s going to keep you around for a very long time.

How do you get fit in the winter months? Please share in the comments!