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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I love the black jacket.
Love the purple jacket!!
Love the jacket in red… 🙂
Loving the black turbodown jacket!!
love the purple jacket, the boots are fun as well!
Would love the red jacket which would keep me warm after my training runs for my 3rd ultra marathon!!!
I love this jacket in black!
Love the women’s minx mid II omnibus heat print boots in white! 🙂
I love the purple! I would feel like a little grape when wearing it!!
I have never experienced a very cold winter but I think it would be so much to go ice skating or for long walks to enjoy the snow.
I LOVEEEEE the Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat Boot in black!!!!!!!!!!
I absolutely love the Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Print in white! So adorable. And they look so warm. This is an awesome giveaway, fingers crossed 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win!
I’d choose the women’s minx mid II Omni-heat print boots!!
I saw the boots and fell in love! Love the Minx Mid II Omni-Heat Print in white!! This would be an awesome, early birthday gift!
I love the purple jacket! It looks so cute and warm!
The purple is super tempting, but with all the fun colors of scarves I have…. black would go with all of them!!
The red jacket is really cute. (Also, I am a Bulldogs fan so it would match :P)
I love the black jacket!
I would love the silver jacket! Perfect for the wind tunnels of NYC!
I love the silver jacket!
In winter months, I love to find something to train for! It keeps me going, gets me out of bed and onto the trails or the treadmill when my bed feels like a better option 😉
I’d love to try the jacket in red. I’m dying over this look.
I would looooooove the red jacket! Ive been looking for a casual winter jacket and this one looks awesome AND warm!
I love the red jacket! This would work perfect for my ski trip to Switzerland!
I would love to win either. I live in Cleveland, and I’m very familiar with the bitter cold! Last winter I stated active by going yo the gym and going on walks in the metro parks. It’s amazing how different everything looks in the winter. I love calm and crisp days
I would love the black jacket!!! It’s super cute and I’m so curious about the metallic beads!!!
I would love the purple or black jacket!
I like to go for runs if it’s not snowing!
I love the purple columbia jacket and the boots your wearing in the pic! Super cute winter gear!!
I would love the Red!! 🙂
Love the red jacket! Thanks for hostin!
I adore the tan boots you have on! I’m on the hunt for some great waterproof boots that are pretty too! 😀 Very cute!
Loving the red jacket!! Staying warm is a definite must!
I would love to try the jacket in black. I stay SO cold in the winter so the jacket sounds like the perfect match for me!
I would love either the jacket or boots! Even though it gets really cold here, I love to get outside for a brisk walk. Just bundle up! Working from home, it is necessary for me to get outside at least once a day.
I love the boots you were wearing!!
Love the red jacket! It sounds perfect for apres ski 🙂
Omg what a gorgeous jacket! Would love the red for Michigan winters!
I live in southern California so I’m fairly lucky with the weather…even during the winter months! But I love to take the winter months to try different indoor classes that I’ve always been curious about. Your posts about pure barre have made me add it to my list of “must trys” this winter! 🙂
I adore the mid II Omni Heat Boot in gray and the jacket in purple. In the winter months I like to do at home workouts. I am currently doing Shaun T’s Insanity videos. We also just got Amazon prime! I am looking forward to checking out the videos there too.
I love to run outside (of course bundled up) when it is cold. Also, skiing is fun when the snow is fresh:)
I think I like the red jacket you are sporting!
Would love the jacket in red or the taller red boots…great color to get me up and moving this winter! Thank you.
I love all the colors of the jacket so I would have to go with black! It goes with everything.
Love the boots. Super cute, I do think I like the mid’s in your style in black.
LOVE the black jacket and it’s just what I have been looking for!
The black jacket, definitely!
I adore the red jacket!!
I love the red jacket!
I would love to win the Minx Shorty Omni-Heat Herringbone boots in the pebble/oxford tan color! Thanks for hosting this giveaway!