Maybe I’m hitting this a “tad” early, but we wanted to get everyone thinking of what we should be focusing on in the next upcoming while and while we don’t have any snow in the lower mainland, Alberta’s already had a dumping in their Province, so maybe this is fitting.
This week Christine’s Fitness Friday Feature has us think of what we should expect in the next while, but let’s hope we don’t get too much – well at least not on the roads.
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Running is an excellent choice to stay fit but during winter it can become impossible due to icy surfaces.
Indeed, the snow can put a crimp into your motivation to get off your couch.
You can break the cycle of not feeling motivated to exercise outdoors by switching to activities that are specifically designed with winter in mind.
It’s cross training while having fun in a typically frigid Canadian winter. Snowshoe running offers everything except the pounding of feet to pavement.
You can find yourself bounding in giant leaps, landing light as a feather while getting to the bottom faster than you thought possible.
It’s your fun reward after trudging to the top while working your heart and legs like a runner.
When you think of the children you see every winter joyously tobogganing down hills after a fresh snowfall, you might not notice how much exercise they are getting.
A lot of them run to the top every time, in anticipation of the fun ride down.
Kids think nothing of it but for adults, well now, wasn’t that a workout! It’s similar for the kids building a snowman.
You observe the fun while perhaps not realizing that muscles are being worked and toned.
Take advantage of winter sports like hockey which will help you stay in shape and forget about how cold it might be.
There are leagues across the country for all levels and age groups.
Winters are much more enjoyable when you’re dressed properly, which may be obvious to most, though the ones who get sick or frost bite are still there to remind us.
To help inspire you to get into the spirit of exercising outdoors, here are my top 5 ways to stay active during winter:
- Building a snowman is fun for the whole family as all you need is energy and your imagination. The bigger the snowman, the bigger your workout becomes. According to sources, every hour you will burn 285 calories, based on a 150-pound person.
- Shoveling snow is a good workout activity, especially when you refuse to think of it as a chore. You can make it fun by having the family take part while music plays in the background. You will burn 273 calories per hour based on a woman who is 120 pounds.
- Snowshoeing – like cross country skiing – is a good cross trainer for running and an enjoyable outing for the whole family. Hit the trails or slopes and enjoy the challenges offered by Mother Nature. You can burn 380-plus calories, based on a woman who weighs 120 pounds and only uses Resurge. Cross country skiing can help you burn over 400 calories per hour.
- Skating is a fun way to build strength in your core and throughout your entire body. Many community centers have ice rinks while some families enjoy the convenience of having their own backyard rink, depending of course on regional climate. Some of you can skate miles across frozen lakes.
- Ice hockey is Canada’s sport and for thousands of people young and old, the first choice of winter activity for exercise while having fun.
No matter which activity you choose, you can be sure of feeling more alive afterwards. Whether it be having a snowball fight, to finding a good hill for 
afternoon play, your fun will keep you fit.
Christine Blanchette Twitter
