Family-Friendly Winter Fitness Activities
When frosty winter weather hits, it’s tempting to hibernate indoors with the family and take shelter from the cold. Although it’s just as easy to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket during those chilly winter nights, your body still craves movement–no matter what the weather is like outside.
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Even though the icy weather can discourage the most diligent exercisers, the best thing that you can do for your body is to bundle up, dress in layers and get moving. If you’re still hesitant, it could be beneficial to know that exercising in the winter has many advantages over working out during warm summer months! Because you aren’t subjected to that muggy humidity, a cold winter breeze might be the perfect way to stimulate your senses and allow you to work out for more extended periods of time, which in turn will burn more calories. You can also count on moving around for even a short amount of time during the day to raise your immunity, which is especially important during flu season.
Here are five family-friendly winter fitness ideas for staying active during the season that doesn’t require a gym membership or expensive exercise equipment.
1. Learn how to ice skate
Although many indoor fitness facilities have been temporarily shut down because of social distancing measures, outdoor ice rinks are still an excellent option for families of all ages. Ice skating is a thrilling and engaging activity that will improve muscle mass, flexibility, balance and coordination. The best part? Ice skating embraces a high level of fun and excitement; you won’t even feel like you’re working out! Zooming around on the ice is a great low-impact cardio activity that will quickly warm you up, allowing you to forget about the frigid weather altogether. Ice skating also enables you to utilize various small stabilizer muscles that you wouldn’t usually use in your daily life. Strengthening the smaller muscles around your ankles and knees will increase energy levels and improve your performance in everyday tasks such as running, walking, bending down, twisting and even squatting. Because this activity is low-impact, it’s also an ideal option for those with a history of joint pain. If you’re a first time skater, ensure that you invest in a helmet and the proper safety attire to avoid serious injury. If you’re in the Toronto region, click this link to find an ice rink near you and reserve your spot today.
2. Discover frozen waterfalls
Ontario is home to over 400 picture-perfect hidden waterfalls just waiting to be discovered. Whether you hike to the enchanting Tiffany Falls in Ancaster, discover unique rock formations of Tew’s Fall in Dundas, or road trip to Sauble Falls in the Bruce Peninsula, you will be able to walk through a winter wonderland of serene landscapes and snap some amazing photos of icy waterfalls that have been frozen over. Some waterfalls require more of a hike than others, so it’s recommended to do some quick research before embarking on your journey. Whether you would like to spend the entire afternoon scoping out these hidden treasures or simply embark on a short ten-minute walk to your destination, there is a waterfall for every physical ability and skill level. Don’t forget to bundle up and pack a piping-hot thermos of hot chocolate to keep you warm!
3. Sled down a local hill
If you don’t have a full day to trek out to one of Ontario’s beautiful frozen waterfalls, and if there are no ice rinks in your area, seeking out a local hill to go sledding is a fun and inexpensive activity for the whole family. Soaking up the sunshine will boost your levels of vitamin D, which is crucial during the winter months to promote feelings of happiness when we aren’t getting enough sun. Zooming down a hill will be especially exciting for young children – they won’t even realize the great cardio workout they’re getting from climbing back up the hill once they’ve reached the bottom. Zoom up and down a hill 5-10 times, and you’ve just completed an exercise that can compete with one StairMaster session! Before you embark on this activity, always remember that safety comes first. Ensure that you are wearing a helmet in case of any collisions, sled away from trees and fences, and avoid hills that end near a street. With a safety-first mentality, you will be able to enjoy one of the most thrilling activities that winter has to offer!
4. Have a snow day
Gather the whole family outside to fill your day with snowy bucket list activities, such as building a snowman, having a snowball fight, or creating a snow maze. To get a bit more creative with these wintery activities, you can make anything into a contest. Who can roll the biggest snowball? Who can create the best snow angel? You can even try to hit two birds with one stone by creating a contest to see who can shovel the driveway the fastest! To keep things interesting, opt to spray paint the snow with a mixture of food colouring and water–which can be mixed up in a spray bottle.
5. Get active indoors
The reality of living in Canada is that there will always be a few days where it’s simply too cold to go outside. When one of these icy, blistering-cold days strike, there are so many great options for getting active indoors. If you prefer a low-impact exercise, following along with an online yoga video, such as those in the Yoga With Adriene series, is an excellent way to boost energy levels, improve flexibility and manage stress. If you would like to opt for an activity with a higher intensity level, YouTuber Chloe Ting provides everything from 20-minute full-body workouts to the 2 Weeks Shred Challenge. If you have kids at home who get restless indoors during the winter season, a creative activity is a must. Consider creating an activity jar where your kids will write names of different activities on popsicle sticks and place them in a decorated mason jar. Each day, the popsicle stick pulled out of the jar will be the activity of choice. This will allow for something to look forward to if the family is hesitant about spending long periods of time outdoors.
No matter which activity you choose, working out during the winter doesn’t have to be a challenge. If you’re exercising outdoors, always ensure to dress appropriately for the weather and bring along a hot drink to reduce the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. As long as you’re bundled and staying hydrated, the winter season offers so many exciting activities that will engage the whole family!