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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This is my first time commenting but I love your blog! I would love the jacket in black or red!!! Thanks, Julie!!!
AHH! I would love either the jacket or the boots! I’m the weirdo who likes the chilly weather because I get to run in it and for some reason, it’s my element! I don’t have a problem staying active in the winter! 🙂
I would love the purple or black jacket!
Red jacket!!
Love the jacket and definitely black!
Nothing like a good, chilly morning run in the winter. Thankfully, I live in the south and it doesn’t get too unbearable! 🙂
I would love the Women’s Minx Pull On Omni Heat boots
I would love either. I live in a cold climate so I really like cross country skiing in the winter to stay in shape!
Columbia Platinum 860 TurboDown jacket in red! It’s my favorite color and it looks great on you!
I like the shorty omni boot! I could definitely use a pair of coldweather/snow boots. I also love how they don’t look clunky!
I am loving the red coat! Perfect for walking the dog in the winter in Denver!!!
The black jacket would be fantastic for shoveling ten thousand pounds of snow this winter!
I really like the Women’s Minx Shorty Omni-Heat Print or the Women’s Minx Pull On Omni-Heat Print boots… both in tan! Super cute while still functional.
I would love to win either! Usually, I sign up for a spring race to help keep me motivated throughout the winter or, as you suggested, I keep a few at-home workouts handy too! Also, the key is to do it first thing when you wake up. Otherwise, it gets harder and harder to get out and face the cold!
I love those boots! I like the style you have.
I love winter hikes! Sometimes the views you see are amazing when all the leaves have fallen.
I’ve always loved Columbia coats, but never knew they made boots too!! I love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot in brown.
A black jacket would be great!
Those Minx boots are adorable!! I’m moving to Newport, RI in January and hear that their winters are brutal!! I’m currently on the hunt for a pair of stylish and warm boots. The gray or black Minx Mid II Omni Heat look super cute! Thanks!
I would love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Print Boots! They look so cute and lightweight!
I’ve learned that being a Fitness Instructor really holds you accountable during the winter months! I can’t overindulge at all the holiday parties and I can’t miss a class…because I’m teaching it. The hardest thing for me about winter is the shorter days ! It’s SOOO dark outside…whether its a 5:30 AM class or 5:30 PM class. Definitely makes waking up for that early morning work out just a little harder!
I would love the jacket in red. Give the cold months a little pop of color!! I would love to see how it stands up to the windy cold months in Rochester!
The jacket in red… or black!
I absolutely love the women’s minx pull on omni-heat print boots in the elk, grizzly bear color! They look so warm for the freezing winters here in Pennsylvania! Also, they’re stylish which is an added bonus!
I love the black jacket and the boots in the tan color you picked! In the winter I like to train for a running race or go skiing or snowboarding
I too live just outside of Chicago, so the winters are BRUTAL! To stay active & still attempt to get outside, I love window shopping, sipping hot cocoa. For my workouts, I try a lot of classes during the winter & really utilize Nike Training Club a ton!
I would love the purple jacket!
The red jacket! I live in Buffalo, NY and last year we experienced the Polar Vortex – would love that jacket!
Love the black jacket!!! Adorable!!
Purple is my favorite color and that jacket is so cute! I don’t think I’m ready for winter to arrive, brr!
LOVING the red jacket! Would be perfect for a freezing Cleveland winter!
I would love the black jacket. Winters get grrrrr in New England!!
I love both the jacket and the boots. We like to go hiking with our dog in the winter!
I like the jacket in black. I find dark colors are better when I work out in them.
I would love the red jacket! I think I need one sooner than later as I saw snow yesterday!
I love the red jacket AND the red boots! My favorite thing to do during the winter is go for a swim at my local gym then immediately sit in the sauna to warm up and relax.
I would love the Minx boots-they would make taking the dog out so much easier!
I would love the red coat! Great for the coming winter!
I’ve been looking for a warm winter jacket for 2 years that isn’t bulky! I’d love the black one!!
I would love the black jacket! I am in need of a new winter jacket to keep warm!
I love the black jacket and the red boots! In the winter, I love to take long walks around the neighborhood with my husband and a cup of hot chocolate to sip on!
I love the red jacket
I would love the purple or black jacket! They look so amazing!
I would love the jacket in black. I am training for a 10k and really want to continue running in the colder weather.
Red jacket or black Minx boots.. hard to decide! I do a lot of weightlifting during the winter so I feel less guilty about not using the outdoors, which basically is impossible in New York.
I would love the red jacket and the same boots you picked 🙂 Moving from FL to GA I am not prepared for the cold weather!
I would love to try the black jacket!
This looks like the perfect active coat for winter! I love the red one!
I coach rowing in Boston, so once the river freezes, I head inside and spend the winter lifting weights and working out on the erg (indoor rowing machine). I’d love to have the red jacket to throw on to and from practice and add a little color to an otherwise bleak New England winter.
I live in North Dakota and the winters here can be seriously brutal. When weather permits, I like to take walks and short runs around my neighborhood. We have a close walking trail, which is nice to trek along. I also make an effort to go to the gym on days the weather is too nasty to be outside.
Love the red or white boots! Love winter hiking the woods are so quiet and pretty that time of year!
The purple or black jacket! Pennsylvania winters are cold!