Exercise can be daunting in the winter months. Darkness at 5 p.m. and below-freezing temperatures aren’t exactly the biggest motivators for physical activity. In addition to snow and cold air ruining the possibility of a pleasant morning jog or a trip to the skate park, the dullness of winter can easily take the excitement out of any daily exercise routine. So, it’s important to get creative in the ways we incorporate movement into our lives while it’s still icy out.
Daily movement doesn’t have to look like a sweaty, intense gym session or an exhausting run. Moving your body can look all sorts of ways, and exploring these ways might make you love exercise just that much more. Listed below are some of my favorite options for keeping your activity levels high all while staying out of the low temperatures this winter!
- Trampoline Parks
I am willing to guess that many adults, myself included, do not keep trampoline parks at the forefront of their minds. Personally, I held onto the notion that trampolines had no place outside of a child’s birthday party. However, in reality, trampoline parks are cardio heaven. Jumping on trampolines for exercise has quite the list of health benefits from improving cardiovascular health to developing balance and agility. Jumping also improves all-around strength more than a cardio activity like running as it keeps joints and muscles more engaged throughout the workout.
Trampoline parks often also incorporate other fitness activities, including rock walls and parkour courses. The combination of upper-body focused climbing exercises and lower-body focused jumping makes for an unbeatable full-body workout that is both nostalgically fun and entirely indoors.
Many parks local to the Philadelphia area (Launch, Urban Air, SkyZone) have day passes priced from $17-$35, making for an exciting treat of a workout that won’t break the bank. If you find that trampolining is the end-all-be-all cardio for you, parks like SkyZone even have monthly passes for only $28; that’s even less than a lot of gym memberships!
- Dance-Focused Video Games
A friend and I recently booted up our old Wii console and made a night out of playing through Just Dance 2016. We got so caught up in reliving old memories, singing our hearts out, and struggling our way through dance combos, that I hardly realized the passing of time. By the time we decided to take a break, I was out of breath like I had just run a marathon. It occurred to me; why do I make myself miserable on the treadmill when I could just dance every day?
It’s true; dancing as a form of cardio has excellent health benefits, and console games like Just Dance and Dance Central only serve as a guide and gamify your workout. Although often expensive when new, console dance-video games are quite easy to find in thrift stores and are available across all sorts of platforms from Wii to Xbox to PlayStation. Many Just Dance routines are available on YouTube, too, as a free option.
- Movies on the Treadmill
Do you ever find on the treadmill, gym music blasting in your ears, that time goes by excruciatingly slowly? Walking in the same place at the same pace for extended periods of time can get quite monotonous, so finding ways to distract yourself can make treadmill walking enjoyable and peaceful rather than completely dreadful.
It sounds like a simple concept, but admittedly, the thought of combining exercise with movie watching, an activity I associated with relaxation, did not seem like a possibility until quite recently for me. However, getting yourself invested in a captivating plot is a great tool to stop watching the countdown on the treadmill. Whether it be incline walks, jogs, or even leisurely paces, this is an excellent way to kill two birds with one stone and make your workouts just that much more enjoyable.
- Temple’s Group Fitness Classes
That’s right; you don’t even have to leave campus this winter to get a nice winter workout! Temple offers all sorts (about 50 sessions a week) of exercise classes and sessions completely free of charge for students. All led by certified instructors, Temple has something for everyone on their weekly fitness schedule. Courses range from beginner to high intensity in areas ranging from yoga to boxing. Especially when the cold limits our normal exercise options, these sessions are a great opportunity to get in activity while staying local, and you get to chat and meet new people all at the same time.
No matter how you choose to move your body this winter, no matter the intensity or length or time of day, you should be proud. It is not easy to find motivation when the sun is nowhere to be found, so pat yourself on the back for even getting out of bed at all. So, keep searching for joy in physical activity; there is truly something for everyone.