Staying Active and Healthy During the Winter

By Jacob Chen

It’s another harsh Upstate New York winter, and you find yourself cozied up in bed with hot chocolate, putting on pounds and feeling lethargic. It’s so easy to fall into this trope, but the solution is keeping active and mobile. Trying to stay active during the winter can be tricky. Going outside for a walk means putting on 10lbs of gear to stay warm, all of your favorite outdoor sports are void due to cold conditions and ice, and you ultimately feel cooped up inside with no sense of direction. Fortunately, there are ways to combat the winter and keep yourself active and feeling positive!

Upstate New York Winter

Upstate New York has had another record breaking winter, and the conditions are quite trying for anyone attempting to get outside. Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, declared New York to be in a state of emergency due to the record breaking freezing temperatures and snow fall we’ve seen so far. 

Stay Health Conscious 

Pushing yourself to get out of the house during the winter can be a drag, but staying active is important. According to the NRPA, activity levels in adults during the winter drops ~60%. Staying active has so many benefits for health that this drop in activity level, while understandable, is negatively impacting your health. Inactivity runs the risk of several side effects, such as; cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, etc.

Go to the Gym

One of the best things you can do this winter to stay healthy and active is to hit the gym. Whether that’s cardio, weight lifting, yoga, or sports, any sort of physical activity that keeps you moving for an extended period of time will help! If going to the gym is daunting, simply start with getting your steps in. Hop on the treadmill, take an easy pace, walk and listen to music. It’s as simple as that! The CDC recommends getting in around 8000-10000 steps a day, which is a great baseline for overall health. 

Snowed In? 

Being snowed in can make it difficult to get out there and stay active. Whether that’s because of a closed road, icy conditions making it dangerous to drive, or it’s that sports car that the winter renders useless, you don’t need to skip your gym activities because there are still ways to stay active in your own home. A very simple way to stay active is to follow an at home workout routine. That could be a yoga video on youtube, a calisthenics at home workout routine, or even a dance workout! Lucy Lismore, Youtube content creator, has some great videos on beginner calisthenics workouts to do from home! 

Although it may be more difficult trying to stay active during the winter months, remember that it’s very possible with just some simple tweaks in your day-to-day life. Get those steps in, find your passion in the gym, and find an extra routine to follow on those days you are snowed in.