I know I’m from Perth, and this is only my third winter EVER, but I’m still gonna put it out there: it’s really tough to stay active in the winter!
The days are waaaay shorter, sunlight is pretty hard to come by, and it is cold, wet, and slippery out there…
I think its fair to say that for a lot of people, one of the first casualties during winter is exercise and movement.
I totally get it, there are a lot of days where it would be much easier to lie in your nice, warm bed, than get up in the morning and go to the gym/to for a run/whatever your exercise method is.
So without further adieu, here are 48 hacks to help you stay active this winter:
- Hike in the snow
- Start a snowball fight
- Go for a skate on the canal
- Start a street hockey game with your neighbours
- Create a home bodyweight circuit
- Go cross country skiing (rent skis at MEC)
- Drive out to Gatineau Park and walk along the cross country ski trails
- Join a gym (or just keep going to the gym if you’re already there)
- Go snowboarding
- Run or cycle (be careful of ice though)
- Build an igloo
- Shovel your driveway
- Play hockey
- Join a curling league
- Find an awesome hill and sled down it (like the one at Walter Baker Park)
- Build a snowman
- Bounce on the bed
- Shovel your neighbour’s driveway
- Take the stairs two at a time
- Try a new indoor sport
- Go to Xtreme Trampoline and bounce around
- Make snow angels
- Join a mall walking club
- Ask me to borrow my Hip Hop Abs DVD
- Dance around in the kitchen/bathroom
- Do 20 push ups or sit ups whenever there’s a commercial break on TV
- Incorporate exercise into your social life – get coffee and walk outside when you meet up with friends
- Snow burpees
- Go for a walk in the next snowstorm
- Challenge your kids to max snow angels (in 5min)
- Find the biggest snow pile and climb up and down 10 times
- Take the stairs at work
- Go for a skate at lunch (at 1 of the over 200 rinks around the city)
- Take your family to the Rink Of Dreams
- Go to a climbing gym (my fave is Vertical Reality )
- Take a walk down the Trans Canada trail
- Take your kids out to try geocaching
- Take a hot yoga class
- Go to an old-timey family skate at the Governor General’s house
- Turn Christmas shopping into a chance to powerwalk
- Participate in a food collection and go door to door
- Wrestle your kids on the living room floor
- Visit the Kanata Wave Pool
- Go out dancing with your significant other
- Invite your friends over and make a human pyramid
- Go rollerskating every friday night at Carleton University
- Take the stairs at every opportunity (especially if you’re going up several floors)
- Play a family game of Twister
Dr. David Hawkes is a wellness expert and martial arts enthusiast. Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Dr Hawkes’ passion for health and wellness has led him here to Kanata, literally halfway around the world. After graduating from Murdoch University, Dr. Hawkes ran a successful practice in Perth’s western suburbs before moving to Ottawa. Dr. Hawkes has a special interest in family wellness, as well as Peak Performance. He is passionate about helping individuals and families lead their extraordinary lives.
