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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Cute coat! I think I’d go with either black or gray.
Purple, please! That jacket looks warm and comfy… perfect for winter workouts!!
One of the best winter workouts is shoveling snow. I’m always exhausted after shoveling our driveway and sidewalk. I wore my Polar and burned around 700 calories.
Love both the jacket and all the boots.
Either one would be awesome! I love bundling up and heading out to go sledding, or even just on a walk to look at Christmas lights!
Agreed. On the fence! Both are such awesome giveaways. WE love sledding here to and it doesn’t even feel like you’re working out because it’s so much from. We’re from Buffalo, Ny so we gets TONS of snow at times. Love cross country skiing too, so fun and scenic!
I’d love either the boots or the coat! I’ll be giving birth to twins in December! That’s a workout in itself! Then it’s marathon training for a marathon in May and I start yoga teacher training in January! Looking forward to it all! Oh…and taking care of 3 kids under 2! Ahhhh!
I would love either that coat in black or those boots you were modeling! 🙂 I’m praying NJ doesn’t suffer another “polar vortex” this winter – my winter boots are completely ruined from last year so these would be awesome
I love bundling up with my husband and taking our dog hiking or on nice long walks around our neighborhood. It gets us out of the house (with lots of layers on, of course!) and gives us some time together without tv or phones. Definitely a fun way to stay active together and keep a positive attitude 🙂
That red jacket is everything! So cute and so lightweight. It’ll definitely save locker space and I can avoid the cramming and stuffing that happens with my current winter coat at the gym.
I’d love the Minx Mid II in Shale. I recently started commuting by public transport to work and it includes over a mile walk each direction. In Boston during the winter, I’m gonna need some good boots. Hopefully these fit the bill.
Hot yoga is my favorite during the cold winter months!!
I would love the jacket in black
I would LOVE the jacket in black!
I would love the red or purple jacket!! Such a hard decision though!
I am equally interested in the jackets and boots!! I love to go ice skating at outdoor rinks during the winter months 🙂
The red jacket and boots you are wearing! Red is perfect to wear to late fall football games since I am/ was a UW Badger! Plus I would love anything warm during the cold WI months, especially when it gets to -20, not looking forward to those days at all haha
I’m loving that red jacket!
This is actually my last “cold” winter (moving to Florida in July!) but I pretty much take all my workouts to the gym. If we happen to get some snow, I think snowboarding is a great way to get your exercise in!
I love the Mid II Omni-Heat Print in Siberia. I’ll be in my 3rd trimester this winter so such a cute fitted coat is out of the question, lol!
I would love the red coat! It is such a pretty color! I live in Buffalo, NY, snow capital of the USA so I am always trying to get warmer and better winter gear to survive the 6 months of winter!
Winter is one of my favorite times of the year! Growing up in the north will do that to a girl! I love skiing and snowboarding (I was an instructor for 3 years during high school/college). Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
I would love the black jacket. It is starting to get cold in Virginia and I need something to wear in the mornings before it warms up!
I love the pull-on omni heat print in elk!
I’d be happy with either option, the red jacket or the Omni-Heat boot in tan. Both stylish, yet functional!
i love the red jacket!
I’d love to add both the jacket and boots to my winter wardrobe! I have my third half marathon planned in the spring so I’ll be training for that this upcoming winter
Ohhh that red jacket is beautiful! The best workout during the winter is training for a minimarathon (or any race), especially long runs. After days of snow and running on the treadmill, its great to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! Once you get going, it feels great!
I adore the red jacket. I hope it would look as cute on me as it does on you! 🙂
I would love the red jacket or the boots you are modeling. I walk a lot during the winter and these would just be fine for walking.. thank you, Julie
I’d love the jacket in red!! It looks so cute on you and I love that it’s so light! Perfect for packing!
I love the Women’s Minx Pull On Omni-Heat Print boots! So very adorable, but look very warm and durable too. Depending on the kind of wintery day, I do love snowy walks through the woods. So beautiful!
I’d love to win the Minx boots! SO cute!!
I would love the red coat!!
silver jacket! 🙂
I absolutely love both the boots and jacket you picked out! I’m on a hunt for a new lightweight winter jacket and that would be perfect!
I love the red jacket! It is so cute and would work great for winter hiking because it’s not too bulky.
I’ve wanted a puffy purple jacket like that for about 2 years!
I would love that jacket in black but any of the colors look great!
I love to go on hikes or go cross country skiing in the winter! I would love either the black coat or the tan/brown Women’s Minx™ SHORTY Omni-Heat™ Herringbone!
I have trouble even getting out of my cozy bed once it gets cooler so I mostly stay with indoor workouts at home. I have a nice collection of dvds so I don’t get bored with the same routine and I intermix that with the spin bike, treadmill and rower. I usually don’t get bored with the workouts since I have a lot of variety but sometimes just being in the same space feels stifling so then I will try to do a walk or run outside but that usually doesn’t last.
Oh man, either prize would be awesome! I live in MN, so either of those items would get a ton of use! For the boot I like the mid 2 waterproof omniheat and for the jacket either the red or grey! My favorite outdoor activity would have to be sledding 🙂
I’d love the black jacket!!
I love the jacket in purple! I always question if a coat that thin could keep you warm, but after reading your review I can’t wait to try it out!
The shorty Omniheat boots in the tan herringbone are so cute! Although I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at that down jacket in black either 🙂
Supposedly we’re going to get a second round of the polar vortex this winter… I’m from Iowa, so I’m no stranger to lots of cold and snow, but I’m still not really looking forward to it!
I would be super stoked to win the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot. Perfect for taking the bus to work and walking my dog in the winter!
I would love the jacket in silver!
What a great giveaway! I would love the red jacket or the black pull on omni heat boots. They both sound perfect for winter!
I love to snowboard/ski. I’m not very good, but its still a lot of fun! A group of us are planning an annual winter ski trip! I am actually starting to train for a race or two in the spring as well. Hopefully it won’t get too terribly cold so I can run outside!
It may sound crazy, but I love taking my dog for runs at the beach in the winter. It is totally deserted and I love the brisk air coming off the water.
I LOVE that black jacket!
i would love to win either! i try to stay active during the winter by bundling up if i am walking outside or making sure to hit the gym right after work while it is still a little light outside.
I would love the Women’s Minx Slip II Omni-Heat in black. Sharp looking!
I would love the jacket in black!