I grew up just outside of Chicago, so I’m all too familiar with bitter-cold winters, but I’ve been out of the icy cold winter season for years since we moved to Florida in 2003. Now I’m in North Carolina and anticipating my first real winter in 11 years. It’s time to bundle up, baby!
Knowing that my coldest winter in years is on the horizon, I took some time to brainstorm ways to remain active during the winter months to share as part of Columbia’s new initiative. I’d love to hear some of your ideas, too!
Tips for Staying Active During the Winter
- Keep At Home Workout Options On Hand
When it’s cold outside, there will inevitably be days that we won’t want to leave the comfort of a warm and cozy house. That’s when at home workouts come into play! Build a small collection workout DVDs, check out free fitness channels on YouTube or browse Pinterest for lots of at home workout ideas! If you happen to have an Amazon Prime membership, you can find tons of free workouts there as well!
- Bundle Up and Take Your Workout Outside
Even during the cold months, there are still tons of ways you can stay active outside. Grab a coat and have fun skiing, snowshoeing, building snowmen or snow forts and sledding. If it’s cold but there isn’t any snow on the ground, check out an indoor ice skating rink for some winter fun or bundle up and head out on a long hike!
Some new sure-to-keep-you-warm winter apparel favorites from Columbia:
I first had the chance to put Columbia’s famous TurboDown jacket to the test during a ski trip to Park City back in January and walked away raving about the heat-retaining powers of the Omni-Heat insulation (SO impressed!) and the lightweight yet incredibly warm down.
The silver lining you see is the Omni-Heat thermal reflective technology at work! The inside of the jacket is lined with tons of metallic microdots that reflect your own body heat back to you, making it 20 percent warmer than a normal liner. Sounds crazy, but after trying it out in Park City, I am a believer!
Another feature I somehow never hear people talk about that seriously impressed me is the way the TurboDown jackets can fold up and take up minimal space in a suitcase. When I think of down jackets, I always think of gigantic puffy coats that take up tons of space, but this jacket is somehow extremely lightweight and small but still incredibly warm.
In the winter months, warm feet = Happy feet! Columbia’s Minx Boots first caught my eye when I saw the company’s social media guru wearing them in Park City so I was quite excited to try a pair myself! I opted for the Minx™ Pull On Omni-Heat™ Print because I wanted a pair of boots I could easily pull on and off to take me to and from the gym during the winter, but I also wanted a waterproof boot I could wear on cold weather hikes.
These boots fit the bill and I love the fun print and cushioned sole. Plus, I have a feeling the Omni-Grip will come in handy when it gets icy outside or when I am hiking and need a good grip to keep me from sliding all over the trails.
- Participate in a Winter Workout Challenge (or Create Your Own!)
Sometimes a little friendly competition (even if its only with ourselves!) is all we need to get motivated to work up a sweat. Many gyms offer winter workout challenges but if you cannot find a fun challenge near you, reach out to some friends and create your own. Pick a prize that will motivate you (a new workout outfit, perhaps?) and make it a goal to work up a sweat four to five times a week. Support each other and hold each other accountable!
- Try a New Workout Class or Sign Up for a Local Running Club
Trying something new can do wonders when it comes to reigniting our love for fitness. Try taking a new workout class at your gym or sign up for a class you’ve never tried before at a local studio. (If the cold has your spirits at an all-time low, look for a hot yoga class to warm you up!) If you miss your summertime outdoor workouts, research local running clubs. Most running clubs meet up during the winter months, too!
- Train for a Race or Competition
There’s no denying the fact that having a goal makes it a little easier to commit to a fitness routine. By signing up for a race or local competition (look for indoor triathlons and CrossFit competitions), you’ll have a training plan to follow which may motivate you to stick to your workouts when curling up on the couch sounds more appealing.
Columbia Giveaway
And now it’s time for a winter giveaway! I have a feeling most of you out there are hoping to remain active through the winter months, so I’d love to send one reader their own Columbia Platinum 860 TurboDown jacket and another reader a pair of Minx boots in the style of their choice.
If you’re hoping to win the jacket, simply comment below and tell me which color you’d like from the options offered: Red (the one I have), purple, black or silver.
If you’re hoping to win the boots, let me know which style you like best! (You may see the 10 different style options of the Minx boots here.)
Or, if you don’t care which prize you win and are equally interested in both the jacket and the boots, tell me about some of your favorite *active* things to do during the winter months or some of the ways you motivate yourself to stay active in the winter.
I will randomly select two winners on Friday!
Good luck!
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Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Columbia through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Columbia outerwear, all opinions are my own. The giveaway portion of this post is not sponsored and I will personally be buying the winners’ prizes and mailing them to the winners. Good luck!
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Women’s Minx™ Shorty Omni-Heat™ Print are to die for! So, so cute!
You always seem to read my mind and then post what I’m wondering about! I want to try to stay active this winter. I tend to slack off a lot on my work out routines during the winter months. I’m a summer person and love being outdoors and find it challenging in the winter to remain active, so thank you so much for this post. I am interested in the jacket in black! These give aways are awesome. Thank you!!
Love your red jacket! Would be perfect for my January ski trip!
I’d love either! The jacket in black or the boots in Women’s Minx Mid II Omni Heat Boot in Shale. Both would be great for getting outside with young kids in Michigan winters!
I love the boots you have, but I also really like the black jacket! So fun 🙂 my favorite winter activity is just playing in the snow!
I love the jacket! During the winter I enjoy hiking up telegraph pass and doing Jazzercise.
I would love the black jacket!!! It looks so warm and cozy!
The jacket in black would be perfect for walks and runs in MD in the winter months!
How generous of you, Julie! I live in NYC and am in dire need of a new pair of snow boots. The Minx Mid II Omni-Heat lace up boot in black is great. Much love from another UCF grad! 🙂
i would love the down jacket in the silver.
I love both so much, but those Minx pull on omni-heat print boots look awesome – cute and functional !
I love the purple jacket and winter white boots!
As a new mom, I plan to stay active with my little one and teach her from a young age that being active (especially in winter) is important. We will do mommy and me yoga and I will stay plenty active as she starts walking!
In the winter when it gets cold, I take my five dogs out for a mile jog in the morning. I warm up pretty quick and so do they! I love the black jacket or the boots you chose!
I would definitely do the silver jacket! Love it!
We live in Minnesota so staying active all winter is important since hibernating for 6 months is really not an option. I really enjoy snowshoeing in the winter and all of my winter jackets are from Columbia, they really are the best for cold weather gear!
Oh my gosh – I need the red one!!
I love the red jacket, and it would be perfect during the holidays!
I could definitely use a pair of boots like these – I live in Boston and have to walk part of the way to work, so these would be perfect commuting boots. I like the Minx Shorty Omni-Heat Herringbone in pebble/oxford tan!
That’s pretty cool you are buying the giveaway prizes on your own! I would like the black jacket and brown boots. I need them both for some chilly times in Northern California!
I would love the black jacket!
I need both! My husband and I might have to PCS to Ft. Bragg at the beginning of the year. Coming from Seattle, I’m not prepared for a true winter! But my favorite winter workouts are at home. I love my PiYo and Turbofire DVDs!
Purple please!
I love the red jacket. 1st winter in Wisconsin, I’m sure I will need it!
I would love either the boots or the jacket!!! My favorite activity during the winter months is getting reacquainted with my long (thorough) yoga practice. Especially next to a roaring fire with a hot cup of tea waiting for me when I am done!!
I love the jacket in red! It looks so cute on you & a pop of color in the dreary winter months is always welcome!
Living in Colorado allows me to be active year round! We go for lots of family walks during the winter. When it’s too cold to go outside I turn to my Jillian Michael workout dvd’s and she always kicks my butt!
The red jacket is nice and bright for winter!
My favorite winter activity is hiking with my fiance. We live in Illinois…so winters can be quite torturous…but if you bundle up correctly and are moving you stay relatively warm 🙂 He is a big hunter…so he is constantly outside…however, he is really good about making sure to make time for the two of us and our child/dog Hank to spend time exploring the woods as well!
The black Columbia jacket would be great for me…as mud and dirt would show less, and I could throw it on under a camo jacket for when we go! the boots you have look versatile…and CUTE!
I’ve been searching for stylish AND warm winter boots for our cold winters here in Canada. I’d love the Minx™ Pull On Omni-Heat™ Print in the Elk, Grizzly Bear colour! Super cute!
I would love the jacket in purple! 🙂
The jacket in red is so cute!
I would love the jacket in red, like you’ve got! Thanks!
I love the purple jacket!
I just moved closer to two regional parks and see winter hikes in future – would love the jacket in gray to bundle up
I love them both! I love running in the cold months.
The purple jacket is so cute! 🙂
I love that red jacket!
I love the red jacket! I’ll need it for another cold Wisconsin winter…
Love those boots and the jacket! As you know IL gets crazy cold in the winter and both of those things would come in handy when I am hauling myself to the gym!
I would love the win the jacket in red and any option of the boots (too many cute ones to pick!) – in the cold winter months i love bundling up for a run and also getting my pups outside to goof around in the snow!
I just moved from Texas to Boston so will definitely be a change adjusting to the winters. I don’t have a car so I plan to avoid cabs / public transportation and bundle up and try to walk as much as possible even during the winter months!
I’m not picky! I would LOVE the purple jacket or the minx pull on boot in elk! I love to be as warm as possible during the colder months because I’m a huge baby about the cold!
The jacket! I love the purple but the black and red are also gorgeous.
I love all of them, but I think I would go for the silver jacket!
I absolutely love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot. I’m in the NE (after doing 4 years in the snowiest city in the country — Syracuse shoutout) and I haven’t been able to find boots that were cute and made sense for the ridiculous weather that comes with living in an urban environment.
Looks perfect for my ski trip in February to Colorado! I would love the jacket in purple or black!
I adore the red jacket and boots you chose! I need to get away from the white coat/jacket I normally gravitate towards! Love the winter months in Georgia – I can actually run outside comfortably!
The jacket in black would be awesome!
i would love the WOMEN’S MINX™ MID II OMNI-HEAT™ BOOT in shale.. they look so warm!
i don’t have a good pair of winter boots and i really should! i’ve lived in PA, NC, and MD, where they are so necessary! i think i like the style you picked out the best, although the all black ones are nice too!