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 the red jacket and the boots you got!
Oh my goodness I’m cold ALLL of the time thanks to awful circulation. I usually wear two jackets in the morning while walking my dog so maybe that columbia jacket in silver would do the trick on it’s own!
I would love the Women’s Minx™ Pull On Omni-Heat print ones you have one or the ones in black! I need a pair of good pair of boots to take my dog out when it gets cold!
I would love the jacket in black! 🙂
I would loooove the black jacket! I’ve been trying to find a great down jacket and this one looks awesome 🙂
I love the shorty omni minx boot. They’re so cute.
I can tell you one sure fire way to stay active during the winter – sign up to run a spring marathon! I am running the 2015 Boston Marathon and I have (really no choice) to run and strength train all throughout the winter. In general though, I think setting specific goals (which can be any race, weight loss, distance goal) helps to keep you motivated even through the cold winter months.
I would love the Minx Slip II Boots…Awesome!
I really like the Shorty Omni-Heat
I love the Jacket in Red or Black but then again the Silver is cool too hard choice. I guess I would have to go with red. I also love the boots and would pick this one Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot in black.
I’ve been wanting a fun red jacket so I’d have to say red!
I would love the jacket! They are so cute and look so warm!
I love to snowshoe in the park near my house! My goal for this winter is to learn to ski with my 6 year old son! The Columbia jacket and Minx boots would both be beneficial for a cold Michigan winter!
I would like to try cross country skiing this year and I would love a new pair of winter boots!
Could definitely use the Omni Mid Boot in black for my multiple trips to CO coming up! I have no boots now as I live in FL!
I’ve been looking around for some good winter boots and I love the WOMEN’S MINX™ MID II OMNI-HEAT™ BOOT. My commute involves a bit of walking and these would be great for my trek into work.
I would LOVE the ref jacket! I am going to be traveling to colorado this winter and it would be a perfect addition to my mountain clothes!
Either prize sounds great! I love snowshoeing right after a big storm. If you wake up early, you can beat all the snow shoveling and have a nice ling walk in fresh snow.
I love the look of the red coat, and that’s definitely what I’d want!
I just moved to Boston and would love the Red jacket. The color is awesome and I’d love to try the new omni-heat technology. I definitely need something to keep me toasty this winter.
Running around town in the jacket in black would be great this winter! It would match all my fun winter mittens and scarves 🙂
I live in upstate NY so it is COLD and SNOWY. Either the jacket or boots would be wonderful. I try to stay active by running outside through the whole season!
I love the omni-heat Minx boots (beige or black). I love going on long walks during the winter months —I also love skating outdoors when the lakes have frozen over 🙂
I’d love to win either the boots or the jacket! The way I motivate myself to stay active in the winter is every year four of us register for the CA Intl Marathon Relay. I have to train to run it so I have to get out there and be active! I also like to ski, so that is a fun winter activity I get to enjoy also.
After the winter Atlanta had last year I have been debating splurging on winter boots…the Minx Slip II Omni Heat in black look fabulous & warm!
In Canada, we are very accustomed to finding ways to be active in the winter! I love winter hikes through the forest, skating on frozen ponds, toboganning, and snow shoeing…all different activities that help keep me fit in the winter while having fun and taking in the gorgeous scenery and Canadian landscape 🙂
I would LOVE the purple jacket! I’m moving to Lima, Peru in a hot minute and it’s loads colder there than where I’ve been living for the last 10 years (read: Arizona, Hawaii, California). <3
I would choose the jacket in purple! Love the style and warmth it would provide!
Thank you so much for the encouragement and advice to stay active during the winter! I love to participate in group fitness classes that are indoors, and get my heart rate up! My favorite classes include cardio dance and boot camp, and I also really enjoy hitting the gym with a friend keep one another motivated.
The jacket and the boots both look amazing, especially the black jacket and the Women’s Minx ™ Shorty Omni-Heat™!
I volunteered to chaperone my school 6th grade three night trip to Greenkill (think cross country skiing, trust falls, hiking, etc.) These boots would be great! I like the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Print
I would love to win the black jacket! I’m a college student at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC and we’re already expecting snow this saturday! I’m quite nervous for the cold and I’d love the jacket to keep me nice and warm:-)
Thanks!
My Dad and I did a mission meltdown program at our local YMCA last winter and plan to do it again. Definitely a good way to stay accountable in the winter.
I would love the same exact boots you have! But if I’m being honest with myself, I NEED a new jacket way more than I need new boots. Purple would be awesome for RAVENS games and tailgates 🙂
I would absolutely love the jacket in black! I am hiking Machu Picchu in a few months and needing a great layering jacket that is warm but can easily fit in a backpack. This jacket sounds perfect!
I’m not going to lie and say colder months make me don’t make me less motivated to keep moving! But it’s so important to remain active! I would love the jacket! The red is so cute!
Charlotte winters aren’t too bad but layers are definitely necessary! I love bundling up and still going on runs! I would love either the boots or the jacket!
The best way for me to stay active during the cold New England winters are to use a gym buddy as extra motivation and attend gym classes (like Body Pump!) so that I don’t have to muster up too much motivation on my own!
I love the look of both the jacket and the boots! I really like the purple jacket!
Obsessed with the boots you are wearing!
The silver jacket would be super versatile and it sounds like it would be warm enough to keep me toasty even in the brutal Maine winters!!
Red jacket please please please!
I would love the red jacket to wear to and from the gym here in South Dakota. Talk about cold weather! The jacket sounds like the perfect combo of good quality and fashionable!
Well I’m in Florida so not much of a winter here as you know! However, when we go out of state this winter I hope to do some fun winter activities like sledding and skiing. 🙂
I love walking and running in the cooler weather!
I would live to win either the coat or boots! I’m in need of a new winter coat and boots. I love to ski in the winter. My husband and I do this together and have so much fun. I live in Ohio and my goal was to make winters just as fun as the other seasons!
I am in desperate need of a new pair of boots for the looming NH winter. Would love the Minx Shorty Omni Heat in Elk!
I would love the black jacket! Looks great for winter runs!!
I am trying to get motivated to continue my running OUTSIDE this winter…I get so tired of the gym, but with the long winters in Michigan it is a necessary evil. I would LOVE the purple coat to keep me warm through all the snow!
I’d love to win the jacket or the boots. In the winter I love to try out new indoor workout classes, train for a new race, or escape the city and go snowboarding.
My new favorite winter activity is snowshoeing. I went last winter and my boots were not high enough for the straps. Also really don’t have a winter jacket so both of these would be great additions to my winter gear collection.