Staying Active During the Winter

Sticking to an exercise regimen or fitness plan is much easier when the weather is nice and you can hit the road or trails to run and bike. However, in the winter, it gets a lot more difficult. You have to be a lot more dedicated and get creative to keep it up. These strategies will keep you moving through the winter:

Strength Training

Being stuck inside isn't an excuse to skip your strength training, nor is being squeezed in a small space. You don't need oversized exercise equipment to build muscle over the winter - you can make use of free weights to effectively work on your strength. If you are in a one bedroom apartment or dorm room, you can still do bodyweight exercises to burn calories and strength train.

House Work

Most people wait until spring to do a big round of cleaning or tackle home projects like refinishing a piece of furniture or redecorating a room. While you're stuck inside during the winter, why not cross a few of those off the list so you can have more fun when it gets warmer? Surprisingly, you can actually burn a lot of calories working on home projects! Exercising and improving your home? Now that's a win-win!

Kinect

The Xbox Kinect is a great way to stay active because there is a wide array of fitness games that make working out fun. The Kinect can also turn working out into a social activity. Friends and family members can join you and square off in games that pit your agility and endurance against each other in head to head battles. And when you're not working out, you can enjoy other interactive games for fun.

Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing or Fat Biking

If you really feel like you need to get out of the house to work out but don't necessarily want to drive in the snow to a nearby ice rink, ski slope or other winter fitness destination, you can always invest in equipment to workout on your own street or in your own yard. Cross country skis, snowshoes or a fat bike will let you workout right from your front steps. Each of these pieces of equipment can be used on un-groomed paths to add a sense of adventurous fun to your workout.

No matter how you choose to get moving this winter, stick with it. Your body will thank you for it in the spring!

Have any suggestions or secret tricks in your workout arsenal that you want to share? Tell us in the comments below!