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\")
I would love the black jacket! I live in Wisconsin and am bracing myself for another COLD winter!
I’ve been seeing ads for these jackets and boots around Minneapolis. We sure do need them here! Love the red jacket you have one. I need a pop of color when everything is blanketed in snow.
I would love a black jacket. It would help keep me warm while I go hiking or even hanging out with the cows in the fields.
The Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Boot are adorable! Love them.
I love the red jacket and the black pull on boots! Perfect for the winter!
The jacket and boots both look perfect for a New England winter! I stay active in the winter through Crossfit classes along with skiing and snowshoeing when it isn’t TOO cold! Love the purple jacket and the Minx SHORTY Omni-Heat Herringbone!
I would love either! Either would be a good addition to my winter wardrobe for my favorite winter activity of hiking with my husband and dog!
This Columbia gear couldn’t be cuter! I would love the jacket in either silver or black! I’m a 2nd grade teacher and this looks absolutely perfect for chilly days at recess!
I’d love the same minx boots you are wearing! They’re so unique and look like they would be super warm too!
I live in Charlotte too, and our favorite way to stay active is to hike straight through the winter! The mountains around here are gorgeous, but totally different, in every season!
What an incredible givesaway! Such a good idea. Winter is always a fun time to do outside activities and feel like a kid !! Slayride anyone?
I would love to win the Women’s Minx SHORTY Omni-Heat Herringbone in the Pebble oxford tan colour ! They are adorable.
Thx Julie
I love snowshoeing in the winter!
shoveling snow is my least favorite thing to do, yet it’s a hell of a work out!! that jacket would keep me nice and toasty 🙂
Since moving to the desert, I’ve been surprised by just how cold the winters are. The down jacket (in black) would be a very welcome addition to my winter wardrobe as I get out and hike the nearby mountains.
I absolutely love the red jacket! Not only is it cute, it looks so warm!
Love the purple jacket! I really like that it’s not as puffy as normal down jackets because I have a larger chest and I don’t need anything covering it that will make it look bigger!
I would love the jacket in black or any of the mynx boots! I live in Michigan and have somehow not upgraded any of my winter gear for about 8 years – my current winter coat is a children’s NorthFace I bought as an undergrad!
Minx boots would be so cute and warm during the cold Wisconsin winter!
I would love the jacket in black! I am from Florida but have been living in the northeast for a while now and still need help bundling up!
I would love the silver jacket!!! It would be great for this winter and many more 🙂
i would love to win those boots! i would pick the ones you got… they are pretty cute!
I think I wo pick the silver one!
I would LOVE the black jacket. I am desperate for a new puffy coat after my last one mysteriously disappeared and I was forced to deal with last year’s awful winter without one. As for winter workouts, I find that I can motivate myself to get out to the gym if there is a show I’m looking forward to (read: The Voice). Otherwise, I tend to stick to apartment workouts (including running the stairs in my complex!
I would love the Mid II Omni-heat boot in Shale! These would be perfect for our Northern MI winters.
Love the jacket in black! Looks like something i could wear for a walk in the snow, or with jeans!
I love the jacket in red. I live in the Northeast, so I definitely keep active all winter – running, snowshoeing, hiking, you name it, I make sure I still get outside and keep active. It’s all about wearing the right clothes and layering up!
Hi Julie…I would love the black. this jacket would be perfect since I just moved from Tampa, FL to Minnesota…Brrrrrr!
The red jacket looks so cute! I love the color and the fact that it can be packed up so tight. I currently own a great and very warm Columbia winter jacket but it’s so big and bulky. The red one would be nice for cold days that require a lighter jacket while the really cold days can wait for my heavy duty jacket.
I would love the jacket in Red! I am going to need it for the cold Virginia winter ahead!
I LOVE BOTH! As a religious runner, dog walker (gotta walk my dog!), skier, snowboarder, and hiker I love and need good outdoor/winter gear. Those boots are amazing and you can totally make them cute. I have had a hard time finding great weather boots that still looks cute and feminine. I also love the down jacket. For someone who is always cold but loves the winter I’m constantly wearing layers on layers and hate the puffy “I’m a marsh mellow look and feel.” I would be THRILLED to win this giveaway!
I would love the jacket in purple!
I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect winter jacket…I absolutely love the Columbia Platinum 860 TurboDown jacket! If I were to choose a color, I would choose black (because it would go with anything). Awesome give away….thanks!
I would LOVE the same boots you have! So cute! 🙂
I love that purple jacket! I just hope it gets cold enough in LA to even need a jacket this season…
I would love the coat in purple or black!
I would love the Women’s Minx™ Pull On Omni-Heat™ Print in the Elk, Grizzly Bear color. They would be perfect for my upcoming trip to NE! and group fit classes INDOORS are a must to stay active when it gets too chili outside.
The black jacket would transition so nicely from the cold PA winters to the chilly-but-not-blistering VA where I go to university!
I would love the red jacket! It’s adorable!
I would love the black jacket- looks so cozy!
I love skiing in the winter and the jacket or boots would be great to wear to the mountain 🙂
I love the purple jacket and the boots you have! Too cute!!
Love that red jacket you have!
I love the jacket in red! Such a cheery bright color for what can be some gloomy months ahead!
Luckily for me, my dogs demand that we remain active during the winter, so it’s lots of adventures with them as well as long walks and hikes. It only snows a little bit here, but the winters can be COLD so it’s nice to be able to snuggle up with warm puppies afterward!
I also usually initiate some sort of 20 in 30 challenge to give myself an added push to get active! Right now I’m almost done with a hot yoga challenge which has been excellent t owarm up while it starts to cool down outside!!
I would love the silver or black! I’m hoping to spend my winter learning how to ski, so this would be perfect!
Love both, and as a Canadian can never have enough boots OR warm coats. My favourite winter activity is running. People think I am crazy for going out at 5:30 am when it is -20 outside, but I find it SO refreshing. It’s a great way to ensure you’re still getting fresh air every day during the winter!
I love the Women’s Minx Pull on Omni-Heat™ Print boots in Elk! So cute and, like you said, perfect for wearing to and from the gym 🙂
Oh my goodness, this jacket would be perfect for me! I’m going to Sweden in January (so it will be pretty darn cold!) and I’ve been trying to find a jacket that will keep me warm, look stylish, and not take up a lot of room on the plane! If lucky enough to win, I’d love this jacket in black!
I love the boots you are wearing. I have a hard time finding decent boots that fit me right. The slide on ones seem like they would work well for me. Get back to snow shoeing! 🙂
i love the minx pull on omni heat in the elk. perfect- function and fashionable!