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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I’d love the jacket in either red or black!
In the winter I like to snowboard when I can , and skate with my hockey-loving boyfriend. We also signed up for the Santa Hustle 5K, where everyone dresses up like Santa and runs to Christmas music!
Love that jacket! I would choose black.
I love the Minx Mid II Omni Heat Boot in Shale, and the Red Jacket! I also like the Minx Pull on in Red Dahlia!
I hate being cold and love warm jackets! The red one looks awesome!
LOVE the red jacket!!! That would be super cute for winter, and the red would be the perfect pop of color against the dull winter backdrop!
I would love the Women’s Minx Shorty Omni-Heat in black! It gets super cold and icy here in Brooklyn, NY so I tend to stick to indoor activities, like yoga!
The black jacket looks awesome and would be perfect for walking around campus in the freezing Pittsburgh winter !!
I would love to win a pair of the Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Boot. They look so comfortable!
The jacket looks so cozy, and I would love it in red!
Love the mid II boots. I need them for walking the dog this winter!
I love the black jacket!! Love snow shoeing in the UT mountains!
i remember your park city post from earlier this yr n how you raved about the jacket then! I wish I could say I plan to stay active by staying cuddled up in bed, but the most consistent exercise is walking my dog! He still has to walk, winter or not, and he always needs a walkin buddy! That’s where I come in 😉
I would love the jacket in black!!!
My oh my, what a great giveaway! I’ve very thankful for a local running club that motivates its runners to enjoy the time spent running with others. It’s always so helpful to have someone accountable for you to show up- knowing that there is a group of runners counting on you to be there at 5am definitely makes you rethink hitting that snooze button!
I live in Colorado and my favorite thing in the cold months is running or walking with my dog. She’s a German Shepherd and loves the cold weather.
Black jacket to keep me warm in the hockey arena
I would normally say the silver until I saw how awesome the red looks on blonde hair girls (yes you!) so I am going to have to say I would go for the red jacket!
Love the jacket in purple…would be great for Wisconsin winters!
Oh my goodness the red boots are so cute! I would love to have a pair for the upcoming winter!
I love the boots you have! They look practical yet cute!
The jacket looks super comfy and warm without being bulky! Perfect for outdoor winter activites like snowshoeing in the Upper Peninsula of MI!
I love love love the Women’s Minx™ Shorty Omni-Heat™ Print boots! I live and work in Chicago and have not been able to find good waterproof boots for the cold winter commutes – these seem perfect (and cute!)
I love the boots! It’s hard to find good boots that are waterproof and functional. I really like the Women’s Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Boot in the silver! Thanks for posting!
To stay active during the winter months, my family and I train and participate in 5ks, like the turkey trot and icicle run!
I love the boots and the jacket. Both are super cute and I would be grateful to win either of them. To stay active during the winter, I continue to do the things I love, like Crossfit and Pilates. However, I love to be outside so my family and I always go for a winter hike, build a snowman and fort, sled and go ice skating at least a couple of times during the winter. This Christmas is very special, because we will visit my 92 year old grandma in the northern mountains of California, where I will need boots and a jacket to take my family tubing on Mount Lassen. 🙂
I love the Minx boots you’re wearing!!
I’d love the jacket in black! Winters in Denver are cold!!
I love the red boots! Could really use those in Minnesota!
I absolutely LOVE the red jacket! It’s the perfect color for the holiday season!! 🙂
Love the jacket and so many of the boots!! During the winter, I up my strength workouts that slack some during running season, and I also do an indoor water bootcamp class twice a week
I love the jacket in Black. Down is a must have up here in NH.
That purple jacket would be perfect!
I live in the suburbs of Chicago, I hope this winter isn’t as bad as last years! I would love to try the silver jacket!
I love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot in Grey and the black jacket. In the winter I sign up still sign up for running races so that I’m more motivated to still run in the cold. I also play indoor soccer and ultimate frisbee.
Love the Women’s Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Boot!
I love the purple jacket!
I love winter runs. That red jacket is fab!
I love the jacket! It would be a perfect under layer for cold days on the mountain skiing in WA and OR. The purple would also be great to wear while cheering on the UW Huskies 🙂 But really, all are great colors.
I really need some winter boots and the Columbia boots look great! I would get the minx mid II boot in tan!
Love the red jacket! For those in mountain states, skiing, boarding and snowshoeing are all great winter activities 🙂
I would love the boots OR the jacket because my stay fit winter ‘activity’ involves walking/running my 90-lb Alaskin Malamute. She LOVES to be outside in the cold weather so anything that keeps me warmer…longer means good things for me AND the dog! 🙂
I love the red on you! But, I’m a black jacket person myself :))
Oh man, Columbia is so awesome, I have a fleece vest of their’s that I have worn all fall. Nothing for winter though!
I would love to win the jacket in black!
What an awesome giveaway! I would love the coat in purple. It would really help in the freezing Iowa winters. I get my german shorthair pointer daily on long walks during the winter.
I LOVE both the jacket and the boots! Last winter was what I consider to be my first “real” winter (the past ones were spent in Seattle and LA… never gets too cold in either city) and I was ALL about the YouTube fitness videos 🙂 I particularly love POPSUGAR, Blogilates, and Tone It Up 🙂
I love all of it! Plus, I live in Iowa, so it would all come in handy! But those minx boots are adorable! I think I’m leaning towards the black Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot.
I would love to win the jacket in silver!
I love the mid II omni heat styles! Would be perfect timing since my old boots now have holes that let water seep in 🙁
By the way Julie, have you tried streaming the free Amazon Prime videos lately?? I used I be able to steam the ballet beautiful one for free, and now it costs money! In fact, the only video from your Amazon work out video post that appears to still stream for free is the kickboxing one (and I swear it was filmed in the early 90s haha!)
This will be my first winter living in a north eastern city so I’m definitely trying to get prepared for the cold. I think having a gym buddy to hold you accountable especially on super cold mornings will help as well as having new at home workouts to try!