A Few Fun Ways to Stay Active This Winter
Stay active & healthy this winter with these fun activities – indoors or out…
If you’re anything like me, you may not feel like doing much in the winter. It’s easy to hole up indoors and watch the snow or icy rain falling outside, and opt to skip heading out into the winter weather to go to the gym – sometimes for days on end.
The winter can be a time of low energy when we all feel a bit sluggish and lazy. While it’s okay to rest up a bit during the colder months – especially if you go hard during the spring and summertime – it’s important for your health to maintain regular physical activity year-round – even when you really don’t feel like it. Regular physical activity not only lowers stress levels and reduces anxiety, but also improves circulation, builds strong bones, detoxifies the body, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, and boosts your immune system, among other benefits.
Physical activity is also extremely important for children and teens, and with schools offering more remote learning these days, many kids aren’t getting the exercise they would normally get through organized sports or school fitness classes. Federal guidelines recommend that children and teens get at least one hour of moderate to vigorous exercise every single day. Lack of exercise can cause a number of negative health effects for kids, including learning disabilities, depression, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and more.
No matter the time of year, the best way to stay active is to find fun activities that you enjoy and look forward to. Exercising together as a family if you are all stuck at home this winter is a great way to keep everyone healthy and happy – both physically and mentally – and it can also be a lot of fun! Whether you’re stuck indoors due to weather or other factors, or you can get outside for a bit, there are plenty of ideas to help your family stay active all winter long.
Here are a few fun ways to stay active this winter – pick one or two to do this week – or choose a different activity every day!
If you’re stuck indoors…
- Family dance parties
- Balloon volleyball
- Pingpong or hacky sack
- An obstacle course around the house
- Mini indoor trampolines or rebounders
- Family yoga
- Hallway race or relay races in a stretch in your house or backyard
Getting outside is even better, as exposure to fresh air and sunshine has been proven to improve both physical and mental health.
Fun ideas to do outdoors…
- Ice skating
- Skiing, tubing, or snowboarding
- Winter biking
- Building a snow person
- Walking, hiking, or snowshoeing
- Snowball fights and snow angels
Adapted from OnlyOrganic.org…
