As the temperature begins to drop, many residents take to hibernating, spending a greater amount of time indoors. For those who love nature, however, as well as those whose fitness regime and lifestyle revolves around being outdoors, this can be a difficult period. The idea of staying cozy, dry, and warm indoors, while appealing isn’t always as enjoyable without a degree of activity too.
Thankfully, there are many ways residents can keep active and outdoors, even during the toughest parts of the winter season. There may be the need to compromise a few routines and even invest in some accessories, but those who do will soon find themselves spending just as much time outdoors in the colder weather as they do through the summer.
Adapt Your Commute
Combining a commute with exercise is a well-celebrated way of adding a workout to a busy schedule. Since individuals often need to travel for their work, replacing a portion or all of their commute with physical activity can be a great idea. For some, this could be cycling or running, while others might find a long walk to be more than enough.
During the winter, this can be an increasingly useful way to maintain activity or simply to achieve daily steps, if other activities are postponed during the harsher weather.
Find A Winter Sport
There are a great many outdoor activities that are perfect for the winter period, and can be a brilliant way for individuals to adapt their weekly workout. Wild swimming, or cold water swimming as it is known during the winter, is a great example because it is an affordable and invigorating way to get outdoors even when the temperatures drop. Just be sure that you have the right gear to help you warm up quickly afterwards!
Those looking for something more exciting (and less shocking) may prefer to find the right slope, one that offers seasonal skiing or snowboarding. These seasonal activities are generally limited to the colder period, which is a limitation that encourages many to make the most of each annual opportunity.
Join A Group
A social aspect to exercise can be a great motivator for individuals to get up and outdoors. By joining an activity group, individuals will be more likely to commit to an activity, even if the weather is poor, for example. Cycling is a popular social activity, as is paddleboarding. However, many choose simply to hike together or even solve geocaches.
Start A Challenge
There’s little need to wait for a new year to set yourself a challenge. In fact, a target or goal can be a fantastic motivator, one that encourages individuals to maintain their outdoor activity even as the weather worsens.
Check with local groups, as well as communities around your favored activities, since the season often prompts challenges to be created for the very reason of keeping people motivated during relatively difficult times. Runners, for example, often make great use of the 100 Miles of Winter Challenge that takes place across Australia.