Best Outdoor Winter Workouts!

by Megan Gates

Winter is quickly approaching us, and that means for some of us we may lose the desire to workout outside. There are not a lot of hot and sunny days to encourage us to go on a run or bike ride outside. But, for those of you who love the outdoors and are interested in some healthy activities that are fueled by the cold and snow, below is a list of fun activities you can do in the winter to keep yourself active.


Run Outdoors

- Now that it is the winter, going to the gym can be a hassle because all of the treadmills and ellipticals will be taken up, so why not run outdoors. If you want to time yourself or run a certain distance, map out a path first with your car.
- Find a nice area that you can run and be safe in. Big neighborhoods are always my personal choice. The elaborate houses decorated to the 9s with their seasonal cheer always put me in the winter spirit. Also, most of the time the roads and sidewalks will be shoveled, plowed and even salted for your running needs.
- If you don’t want to run through the neighbor hoods, go on your towns main roads or “over the river and thru the woods.” I’m sure the path to grandmas house is always a nice journey!

Shovel

- It is a necessary evil. Do you realize how much shoveling can help tone your body? Please use your legs! Don’t just use your upper body and back. If you shovel incorrectly, there is a high percent chance that you will throw out your back! And then in that case, you really won’t be able to stay in shape for the rest of the winter season and will be stuck on the couch in your snuggie drinking hot cocoa and baileys just like the rest of us lazy humans out there ☺
- Shoveling is also a great way to get on your neighbors good side, and will make you feel good about helping those around you.


Snowshoeing

- Trekking through the depths of snow, works your leg muscles as well as gets your heart rate up. If you want to get a serious workout in, bring a partner along so you can motivate each other to keep a steady pace going. A 30 minute hike is a great way to get your cardio in for the day.
- Snow Shoeing doesn’t have to be an intense workout, it can also be a great activity for a group of people; bring your friends or family along to check out the wintery sights in your local park.
- Go to your local parks and recreation center to see if there are trails around that you can rent snowshoes at.

Go Downhill skiing/snowboarding/sledding

- Many families like to plan vacations during the winter. If you have decided to go to a ski resort, skiing, snowboarding, and sledding are fun ways to be outdoors and get a workout in. Stay active during your trip, take lessons and stay on the slopes all day long, and then end your evening snuggling up next to the fire place.
- If you are naturally fit individual, none of these activities should be too difficult for you. Snowboarding and skiing rely a lot on ab and leg strength, along with flexibility. If you want to tone up your abs and leg muscles before your trip do some exercises in your home gym. Check out these other exercises you can do to improve your new winter hobby in snowboarding and skiing.

Cross- Country Skiing

- Cross Country skiing is one of the most demanding winter sports that anyone can do. Heck, it’s an Olympic sport! Whatever you want to put into your workout no matter what you do, is what you are going to get out of it. If you want to train for a winter cross-country skiing race, all power to you. I am sure you can find these races all over the country.
- Just like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing is a great way to just get outside and venture out to your local parks and check out the scenery.



Megan Gates is an outreach representative for gymsource.com- a company that specializes in home gyms and an amazing selection of exercise equipment.- Megan contributes written work to the blogosphere and websites related to health and fitness.