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 love Columbia apparel, I have 2 of their fleece pieces already! Would LOVE the jacket in black!
love the jacket in red! so cute.
I love the Women’s Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Boots! Living in Michigan where we have brutal winters, it’d be nice to have some cozy boots to wear!
I would love the purple jacket!! I am in the north for the winter and you must be active, even with snow on the ground.
I would be thrilled with either! Those pull on boots are super cute…and might be something I need for this winter season!!
I have just moved to Nebraska officially with my husband to finish nursing school and I have yet to purchase a winter coat that doesn’t weigh 20 pounds to keep me warm during the freezing winters. I love the purple jacket!
I need a new winter jacket so bad! I’d go with black, so I could wear it with anything. 😉
I love both! Since I enjoy tennis in spring/summer/fall, when the cold weather rolls around, I like to transition to racketball! Different sport and higher intensity, but still lots of fun 🙂
love these suggestions!! it can be so hard to get out of bed, let alone get active, when temps outside are freezing. i love the jacket! would have to go for red or black, but it’s tough to decide… 🙂
I love staying active in the winter by skiing! It’s my favorite thing to do and it’s a great way for me to spend time with my sister. I also love to snowshoe and cross country ski. I think people get deterred from the cold weather but if you dress warmly, there is so much you can do outside! I quite like the Women’s Minx™ SHORTY Omni-Heat™ Herringbone shoes in the brown color. I’ve been looking for a good pair of winter shoes for a while. Thanks!
I am loving the boots you have – the WOMEN’S MINX™ PULL ON OMNI-HEAT™ PRINT in that tan color – so cute!
After going to college in Syracuse, NY, I definitely learned the ins and outs of how to keep warm – and active – during the winter. Would LOVE to have that red jacket!
Would love the jacket in black!
I love that jacket in black! Looks so warm and comfy!!
I LOVE Columbia gear since I spend a lot of time downhill skiing in the winter months to beat the cold of Wisconsin. I am loving either the red or black jacket! Looks so warm and stylish too! I’m actually in the market for boots as well! I love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat Boot in Shale/Bright Red. Great giveaway! Thanks, Julie!
I would be interested in both! Finding a good warm winter jacket that isn’t huge is so hard. Staying active in MN in winter is necessary to keep warm. I like to cross country ski, pull my son in his sled, or just go for walks enjoying the beautiful snow!
I would love new boots! I’d go with the Mid II Omni-Heat Boot in Black/Charcoal.
That jacket looks amazing! I’d love it in black. I’m looking forward to ski season this winter.
My favorite thing to do in the winter is take my dog for a walk at the local dog park! I would love either the jacket or the boots. Living in upstate New York either would be incredibly useful during the long winter season!
I would love this jacket in black!
I live in Concord, NC. Last winter was so cold. I have lost 130 pounds this past year, so I need a new coat. This would be awesome!
Thanks for the giveaway!!
I love both the coat and the boots! I love to stay active in the winter by bundling up for a long walk on the frozen lake and/or river. I also love to do workout videos at home when it’s way too cold to outside.
Love the jacket in red! 🙂
The Women’s Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Print in the blue color are super cute. I walk on slippery, wooded trails nearly every day, winter or summer, any weather, and my feet are hating me for wearing mud boots on hour+ walks. 😛
i LOVE the black jacket! i live in the Northeast and I would love to have during those long cold months of winter!
The jacket in purple seems like a fun pop of color while staying active in a dreary winter!!
I would LOVE the jacket in black!
I would love to win the Red Omni heat jacket! Red is the perfect color to liven up the winter months and get you motivated to be outside!
Both seem awesome … but if you think that a NC winter is going to be chilly you should try a CANADIAN WINTER ….
I work with the homeless and housing vulnerable and I would donate whatever I won to one of them !
The jacket in red or the Minx Mid II omni heat in Shale. Thanks!
one of my favorite winter activities is skiing! And I would love a black jacket please
I love love love the red jacket! I live in Montana so winter is my favorite season! I snowboard, snowshoe, sled and hike during winter. The pull on omni-heat boots in tan are so adorable! I can’t decide between those boots and the mid length! Thanks for the giveaway Julie!
Both are great – I would love to win either! I would choose the jacket in black, and the Mid II Omni-Heat boots in black as well!
would love the jacket in red!! so cute on you!
LOVE the Columbia jacket in black
Both are awesome prizes and either one would be great to win! In the winter, my husband and I keep each other accountable by switching up who plans the weeks workouts. By doing this we challenge each other to what we are used to and in turn are introduced to different excercises.
I would love the black jacket! It would go with everything and hopefully keep me warmer than I was last winter in Washington DC!
I love both the jacket and boots! Living in Wisconsin, winter workouts are unavoidable! I love to run in the brisk weather, because it makes me run faster so it will be over with faster 🙂
I love being outside and the boots they have are perfect for that! I like the Women’s Minx Slip II Omni-Heat in black!
I want the boots! I love the same print you chose, the MINX™ PULL ON OMNI-HEAT™ PRINT 🙂
I love those Colombia Minx boots you are wearing! They look both stylish and comfortable which would be perfect for hiking. I hope to do some hiking this fall/winter.
Waking up at 4am every morning to hit the gym is NEVER easy but I do it for my me time and to stay healthy. I have 4 active children and work full time so most days are booked solid! So I would love new boots to “pull on” and slip out the door when its cold out. Thanks!! Minx Pull on Omni boots
I’d LOVE the coat in black!!! I love being active during the winter and just broke the zipper on my old coat ;).
Last winter, I bought a treadmill so that I could always get in some cardio at home when I don’t feel like hitting the gym!! I love the jacket and boots – so cute!
I love both the jacket and boots!! I’m big into cross country skiing- it’s so quiet and peaceful in the woods and you really don’t get cold!
I LOVE this jacket! Im looking for a jacket as I am a recent tranfer from south Florida to Atlanta, GA. I would love to wear the jacket in black. Thanks Julie!
Since I am moving to Chicago shortly, I have been on the lookout for both a jacket and boots that will keep me sufficiently warm. It seems like you always post about things I am looking for right at that time! I guess I would pick the boots if I have to pick one of them and I really like the look of the Mid-II Omni Heat Boot in Shale.
Those jackets definitely are great for packing and not taking up a lot of space. My husband has one, but I still have yet to upgrade from my giant bulky insulated coat. Thanks for the review and for offering the giveaway on your own dime!
I love the jacket in red 🙂 I also love the minx mid II omni-heat boot in shale. Such cute winter gear!
I love the black jacket!
I would love either the jacket or boots, they are both so cute. I like in Florida so luckily it doesn’t get too cold, but I do like going on bike rides with the kids or walking during my lunch hour at work. I have started going to Pure Barre during lunch and absolutely love the classes so I switch between going to class and walking.
I would be so happy to win either the boots or jacket! We did things in reverse, Julie…I grew up in the south, then moved up north! The winters up here are brutal. My boyfriend is from Naperville, IL and loves the cold, skiing, etc. Hoping to go skiing with his family this winter and I’d love to have some gear that keeps me (relatively) warm and toasty on the slopes 🙂