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!
***
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!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
Perfect winter jacket! Would love it in classic black!
Living in Wisconsin with lots of snow means growing up snowboarding and cross country skiing – both of which are my favorite ways to stay active during the winter months!
Since I am going to Utah for the first time this winter, I am really excited about the jacket, since living in Arizona we do not really need winter gear. I think the red one is so cute and looks soo comfy!
Oooh I like the red jacket! 🙂
I like to get outside during the winter. Skiing, hiking, etc they all work!
I would love the red jacket! Normally I would go for black, but that red is too cute.
That jacket looks perfect for a chilly winter! I love the grey/silver color.
What a great giveaway! I could really use new boots and a new jacket (MN winters really take a toll on all outdoor clothing!) I will be biking to work this winter-which I’m pretty nervous for, but for fun I like to snowboard!
After our last winter ice storm in North Texas, I am in desperate need of a functional jacket. The purple color is my favorite!
I just moved to Colorado and am utterly unprepared for winter and would LOVE LOVE LOVE the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot in the Oxford tan. They would be great for walking my dog in the morning!
I like to stay active during the winter months by either participating in a shape up plan with friends (like from The Fitnessista) or signing up for a race in the Spring that keeps me motivated to train for. Side note: Love Purple!
I love the silver jacket! This would be perfect for some winter sports!
I am gearing up for my first NY winter and would love the purple jacket!
I looove that red jacket!
I am nervous about my first NY winter and would love the Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Boot in shale.
living in the south, I love running in the winter!
I would love the jacket in black!
I like the middle, tan colored boot the best! I love snowboarding in the winter, but I fell on my sacrum last Feb and it still kind of hurts!! So my plan is to increase how many times per week I go to my cycling/spin classes!!! And we just had a barre/yoga studio called mpower yoga open up next to us, so I’m super excited to try it!!!
Love those boots!! So cute and perfect for snowy winters in NY
I would love to try the Minx MidII white boots. I live in Minnesota and we have snow forecasted for this week. Way too soon!
I’d love the red jacket-looks amazing!
I live in Minneapolis and walk to and from campus in the winter, the boots would be AMAZING so comfortable yet cute enough to wear with jeans! I would love the minx shorty in the tan color! My favorite winter activity is ice skating and just going for a walk and getting all bundled up!
Would love the Minx Pull on Omni-Heat boots in black!
Oh, that purple jacket is so pretty!
i will take either the boots or jacket 😉 one way i like to stay active in the winter is lots and lots of indoor yoga/gym time! also, i find that running is not always so bad in the winter– once your brace the cold and get used to it, its kind of nice when your legs get numb cause then you cant feel the cold anymore 😉
Eat a lot of comfort food to get energy, bundle up to stay warm, have a nice walk to the fitness centre and enjoy a hot reward-bath afterwards 🙂
I would love to win the red turbo down jacket. I’ve had my eye on one of these for the last couple years while living in Chicago and I know this would help with the LONG winter months.
I would love the jacket in black!
The jacket would be perfect! I would want black!
i would love the jacket in black!!
I love both the boots and the jackets; either or will be helpful in the upcoming months! What keeps me motivated to be active when it’s 20 degrees or lower outside is knowing how good I feel after my workout. If I don’t get those juices flowing, I turn into a cranky monster!
I try a new class every winter. It’s fun and helps me stay motivated to be active in the winter.
Woooo! Love a light weight jacket for winter! I’d definitely go with black!! 🙂
I love the boots but would be totally torn between the awesome jacket for skiing and some boots for walking to work in icy Chicago winters!
My favorite thing to do to stay active in the winter is to ski. Because I can’t go daily, I also keep a pair of sweatpants and boots at the door so it’s not as daunting to trek to the gym in the pre-dawn mornings for weekly spinning.
The jacket is super cute, and I think you picked the best color: red!
I love the jacket in black!
The jacket in red! Or black… AH I CAN’T CHOOSE!
I love how NC is going to give you a “real” winter. LOL! Since I live in MN, the definition of a real winter, I need and would love the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Print in white! Those are so cute! Thanks!
I love to go skiing living in Utah and trail run in the snow!
I stay active in the cold weather by keeping up with the kiddos! I don’t actually have a good cold weather coat, so this is a great giveaway… I think the purple would be both fun and functional! Thanks for the opportunity for your readers 🙂
I would LOVE the minx shortie omni-heat herringbone in the pebble, oxford tan! I spend a lot of weekends in Tahoe, so they would come in fantastic use!
I would love the black turbodown jacket!!
I love the red jacket!
I would love the Jacket in red! Super cute!
I love hiking in the winter, the snow makes everything sparkle! 🙂
oooh i wouldn’t be able to decide which! i love skiing in the winter! and braving the cold for some winter runs!
I’m equal opportunity! So some of the things I like best are a great hike on a crisp, winter day as well as warming up with yoga or pilates classes 🙂
I would LOVE the jacket in purple! What a bright and happy color for winter!
My favourite winter activity is skating here on the Ottawa Canal — it’s so fun!
I really like the Shale or the Siberia print boots!