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!
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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!
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love the black jacket 🙂
I absolutely love the red jacket!!! That would be awesome for winter. Thank you for an fabulous giveaway.
I would love the black jacket! Such a great item for winter.
I love red! And the Omni shorty boot looks so cute!
While I’m in love with that purple jacket I’m actually loving the pull on elk boots that you have! I have so many knee high ones that it would be nice to have a shorter pull on pair.
Living in TN, where the winters aren’t too terribly bad, I get some of my best running in during the winter months. I love using this time to train for Spring races. I also love to snow ski, and that jacket would be super handy (in any color!)! 🙂
I would love the black coat! 🙂
I would love love love to win the jacket!! It would definitely come in handy for this Florida girl moving to New Hampshire in December! I think the black or silver would be cute 🙂
Love the black jacket – would be great for a northeast winter,
Purple jacket!!
I love the jacket in purple. It looks lightweight but very warm great for a winter run.
I would love those Omni shorty boots! How cute and functional!
At home workouts are my go to in the winter. I’m not a cold weather lover so my treadmill, dumbbells and youtube keep me in shape until summer finally appears!
Just moved to Colorado! Would love the black jacket! 🙂
Oh I love the black jacket and the minx shorty Omni heat boots…so cute and seems warm at the same time. That is so hard to find with legit winter boots. In the winter, I still love to run outside, but I make sure to bundle up…and cute clothes always help with the motivation. 🙂
I tend to move my workouts indoors on the really cold days in the winter, but here in Georgia, that’s about 20 days a year. Otherwise, I bundle up and head out for a run. I am a member of a local running group that averages about 250 runners twice a week. Such a great group of folks that really make you forget the cold.
oh my! I would love a new pair of snow boots for this coming Chicago winter!! I love them in red. although I need tall boots to keep the snow out on my walk to and from work.
I just moved back from Texas after two years. I’ve lived in NY prior to that for 25 years but i’m still cold. I do love my childhood days of sledding and adult days of snowboarding and beverages 🙂
I love the winter white/silver sage minx boots.
I love the red jacket! 🙂
I would love to win the jacket in Medium in black! I’m from IL, so I know those cold winter months!
I would love the black jacket! It would be perfect for visiting friends and skiing!
I would love either item! I absolutely love sweating it out in a class on cold winter days.
So I would be so grateful for either item so I’ll list both preferences as well as fun winter exercise! I live in Texas so we definitely don’t have a huge range of “winter” related items, but I really love ice skating as a workout and a fun way to at least feel like we have a snowy, white winter 🙂 Then I always tend to use workout DVDs too when I just feel like working out in pj’s in the warmth of my apartment! Now I’m in Lubbock (as opposed to Houston/Austin) so they usually get more snow/ice so I’m excited to experience that and find new outdoor winter workouts!
As for the jacket, I would love the red! I usually stay with typical blacks/whites/tans for jackets so I would love to add a new, fun color to the mix! As for the boots, I really like the Women’s Minx Shorty Omni-heat Herringbone in the “pebble” color!
^wow that was just short of a small novel, ha, oops!
I would LOVE the red jacket! I’m such a whimp in the cold and this looks so warm and cozy!
I’d be grateful for either the jacket or the boots! I live in NYC and love to go to Central Park even in the winter….the snow is gorgeous, but cold!
I would love the jacket in purple or platinum!
I would love to win the coat in black! I moved to Colorado 2 years ago (from Florida), and I am still trying to build up my winter wardrobe.
both the black and red are awesome
Moving from SoCal to Michigan…need this! I like it in black! So in need of winter gear.
The silver coat would be awesome for our Iowa winter.
My girlfriend and I try to find different buddy workouts to do together every Tuesday! These items would be perfect for our outdoor activities!
I’d love to win both! In the winter I try to stay motivated by taking walks when the snow falls or having snowball fights and making snowmen with my family.
I’d love the black jacket!
I love the silver coat!
I’m looking for a good pull-on boot for this winter, and I would love the Minx boots!
I really like the Minx Shorty boot in red!
I just moved to Charlotte too from Florida (where I’ve lived my whole life!) so I have no idea what to expect this winter! I’m sure I will need all of your suggestions to make it thought the winter and either a jacket or warm shoes 🙂
I can’t decide between the red coat and the Minx boots! I stay motivated by group fitness classes in winter. That way I have friends to keep me on track.
The red jacket is super adorbs! 🙂
I would love the purple jacket! I just moved from Georgia to Michigan so my winter wardrobe needs some work. They’re already predicting possible snow for us on Sunday!!
I love the down jacket. I would get the black one cause it would go with everything. Hope I win 🙂
I love to stay active indoors in the Winter by lifting weights and using the treadmill. I very much dislike cold weather. I would love to win either one! They both are so cute and warm looking!!
I would love the black one. Those jackets are super cute! Not bulky but super warm = winning combo 🙂
I love the gray minx mid-II omni heat boot!!
I’d love to get either the Slip on or Pull on Omni Heat boots!
I like to get up to the mountains and go snowshoeing or skiing!
I would love the black jacket!
It never gets below 35 where I live but I’m a wimp in anything less than 50. I usually have to sign up for a race to keep me running!
Hi, there!
This will be my first winter in Chicago and I’m not sure how I’m going to handle it. But in terms of exercising, I plan to visit all the stunning museums we have here. They are so big that you eventually get to cover several miles. It’s a win win situation. Oh, any of the prizes will do as I really need to gear up for winter
I love the Minx Slip II Omni-Heat in Black! I could definitely make use of those in Ohio!