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 think I’d go with the purple jacket and the boots you got. They are so adorable! I’ve been looking for a nice warm jacket like this that doesn’t make me look like a marshmallow and I think this one would do the trick! Thanks for sharing!
Love the red jacket! Nothing like outdoor runs during the winter, my favorite!
The Minx™ Pull On Omni-Heat™ Print that you have look fab! I would love a pair.
The Women’s Minx Shorty Omni-Heat Print boots are so cute. Ways to stay active? Signing up for spring races!
I love that Columbia jacket in Black!
My favorite ways to stay active in the winter are cross country skiing and hot yoga class. I will start training in December for the Disney Princess Half Marathon.
Love your blog, Julie!
Would love the classic black jacket!
I would love to win the black jacket. Sounds like a perfect jacket for my outdoor walks in the winter!
I was just looking for winter boots so this is perfect timing! My favourite are the ones you have on in your picture – WOMEN’S MINX™ PULL ON OMNI-HEAT™ PRINT in elk, grizzly bear. I love all your tips for staying active in the winter, I’m hoping to sign up for my second half-marathon in the spring to keep me motivated!
Love the red jacket you have on! I usually stick to neutrals, but I think a pop of color would be fun!
I would love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boots in black. I plan on staying active by running outside, it never gets too cold for that in Texas.
I like the jacket in black
I love those red boots! I’m allergic to down, so the jacket is not an option for me.
I’m in the Chicago suburbs, and I actually ran outside every single day last winter (I’ve been on a run streak for 883 days). I made sure to sign up for a late March marathon, so I had something to train for. Otherwise, I would have run a mile a day and spent the rest of the time on the couch eating chips.
I love the Minx Omni-Heat shortie and pullon. I plan on starting to train for a spring race this winter!
I’d be happy with either of these! I actually really love running and hiking in the winter. It makes me feel so happy to be outside and in the sunshine even if it is cold!
I’d love the jacket in black!
I love that jacket in black!
i love both! I will take my outdoor running inside to the treadmill.
I would love the red jacket. That Omni-Heat insulation sounds fabulous! If only I could get all of my winter clothes to have that! I would choose the boots that you have also.
I would love the jacket in black and the red ankle boots. How I stay active when it turns colder is taking the stairs instead of elevator, walks in the parking garage at lunch, and at home I do plank challenges, Skype workouts with long distance friends and pop pilates with Cassey Ho. Its good to stay fit and positive all year round!!
I usually ask for lots of cold weather running gear for Christmas, and the new headwarmers, gloves, running tights, etc. keep me motivated to go for long winter runs I would normally skip come the new year! Also, November Project near me is a lot of fun, and I love joining them for morning winter workouts (even in the snow!)
After last winter’s terribly cold weather, I’ve been thinking about replacing my winter coat. I was just looking at Columbia jackets this morning. I’d love to win the jacket in black! So cute!
What a great giveaway! I’d love to win the jacket in black. They’re predicting another bad winter so this would be amazing to have!
Love the jacket in black! Super cute!!!
I’d love the black jacket and the minx boots! Can’t go wrong with those colors!
I love to ice skate and get a great workout from shoveling my driveway!
Ohhh, I like them both! Can’t decide between the black jacket & the Mid-II Omni Heat Boots. In the winter, I like hiking, but I also love just playing in the snow. Building snowmen, making snow angels, stomping around like a kid… I love it. 🙂 I think I’m officially excited for winter again!
Love the herringbone design on the boots!
I think I’d go basic black on the jacket (or grey, too many good options) and the Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot. Bring on winter!!!
I just moved to Denver, CO after living in Tucson, AZ for years! Talk about a climate change! That turbodown looks like it will keep me warm throughout the winter- love the silver color!
The boots you have on are so cute! I have wanted a pair I can wear to go hiking.
Ooo I think I would go with the Women’s Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Print in White! But that jacket in Purple is also super cute….! I fell snowboarding a few years ago and hurt my back pretty badly, but I am facing my fear of the mountain this year to try skiing! My boyfriend is an ex-pro freestyle skier, so it’s something really important to him and I’d like to be a part of it. Looking super cute doing so would definitely help 😉
I would love the black jacket! I’ve always been a fan of Columbia and would like to branch out into their Omni-Heat offerings 🙂
I love the minx boots in the color you are wearing! In D.C., you never know what to expect come winter time.
The jacket in black would be great!
I seriously love all things Columbia, I have two pairs of their boots already! I have a great Columbia fleece too, but would absolutely LOVE to have the jacket in black. So classic for winters in Colorado. Thanks for the awesome giveaway Julie!
Oh my gosh I would love the Minx boots, the same exact ones that you have! I always struggle to find boots that are warm, cute, and keep me from falling on my butt in the snow and these sound perfect! Winter is just starting to show up here in Salt Lake City and now would be the perfect time for some new boots!
This giveaway is so sweet of you! I love the minx pull on boots you have the best!
I stay active in the winter by trying at home workouts and warming up on the treadmill before I head out on a bundled up run (if possible). One year I trained for a marathon over the winter and I had quite a few VERY cold long runs!
Woohoo! Love that purple jacket! 🙂
I try to stay active through winter because it is so hard to pick it up again when I stop. Taking classes helps to get out of the cold and move around with other people.
I would love the Women’s Minx™ Shorty Omni-Heat™ Print in elk. They are so cute and would help me moving back from Arizona to Atlanta where I might have a little colder of a winter!
I would love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot in the Shale color. It would be perfect for walking my Alaskan Malamute when it’s frigid and snowy out 🙂
I love the red jacket!
i LOVE the purple color for the jacket!
I love the purple jacket!
The Women’s Minx™ Pull On Omni-Heat™ Print! They are too cute, and perfect for trekking to work from the train in the cold/icy conditions.
I’d love the purple jacket to match my school’s color!
Plan on staying active by training for a race! The only thing I like more about cold weather than warm weather is running in the cold vs. the heat. Such a great way to be outside (and not get cold!)
I love either the boots or the jacket, but I’d especially love to get the jacket in black.
I would love either the black jacket or the black minx slip II boots , thank you for such a fun giveaway! I absolutely love skiing, and since I live in Salt Lake City, I try to get up to the mountains as much as possible in the winter.
Purple coat!
I love the women’s Minx Shorty boots and the jacket in silver. I’d be all set for winter with these! Great, great products!