New to Canadian Winter? Here Are Ways to Stay Active
This blog was written by the YMCA Newcomer Information Centre Information and Referral Specialist, Arman Zobeiry.
Winter can be a complicated time for maintaining our personal health and fitness. On one hand, it’s common to update or set new goals as part of New Year’s resolutions. On the other hand, the cold weather and harsh conditions make it difficult to get exercise the way we do over the warmer months.
The following are some suggestions to stay active during the winter, roughly arranged to get more budget-friendly and accommodating to a busy schedule, so make sure to read until the end!
Winter Sports
What better way to embrace Canadian culture than to try some of the unique winter sports that Canada is known for? If you aren’t ready to jump into a full game of hockey, you can start with learning the basics of ice skating instead. There are options all around the city for drop-in skating, both in rinks and outdoors. Even if you have no equipment, many have rentals available.
For a lower-impact sport that doesn’t require you to skate, you can try the sport of curling. This sport emphasizes precision and strategy, and can be played in teams as a great social activity.
Downhill sports are another great way to enjoy the wintertime. Skiing and snowboarding are popular, especially for thrill seekers, but sledding and tobogganing can be good, family-friendly alternatives that you can do in local neighbourhoods.
Gyms
It’s possible that you feel winter sports just aren’t for you, either due to the costs of equipment rentals or even just the cold environment. No matter how cold it is outside, joining a local gym will let you work out and play indoor sports year-round.
The YMCA has health and fitness centres across the GTA, complete with swimming pools, conditioning floors, and gymnasiums for sports like basketball, volleyball, and badminton. Our centres also have membership options for families and financial assistance for lower-income households. The City of Toronto also offers many free and lower-cost recreation options and a Recreation Fee Subsidy to help everyone participate in recreation programs.
A great tip to stay consistent with going to the gym is to have a friend or family member to go with regularly. You can keep each other accountable and stay safe by spotting one another when pushing hard with strength and conditioning.
Home Workouts
Sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself to leave the house in the peak of winter when the road conditions are at their worst. During these times, you can still get a complete workout from the comfort of your own home, with simple tools like dumbbells, resistance bands, or medicine balls. Even without spending a dollar, you can do calisthenics with just your bodyweight, or try yoga or Pilates routines to improve your mobility and flexibility. There are lots of beginner-friendly videos online that you can pick from and follow.
Keep in mind that doing any workout, even a more simple routine at home, is a big step up from staying sedentary. Everyone has their own personal fitness journey, consistency is key no matter what your goals are. Social media and marketing campaigns often like to sell the idea of short-term transformations, but making long-term plans that you can commit to and maintain is the most realistic.
Your exercise routine should be sustainable for years to come so that it can become as essential as showering, sleeping, or brushing your teeth. Balance is also crucial so that you can push yourself and make progress, but still be able to recover after each workout and avoid burnout or injury.
Sometimes progress will be slow or non-linear, so when you have bad days or plateaus that you feel stuck in, it’s healthy to be patient, forgive yourself, and trust the process. Even if you are a bit less active during the winter, do the best you can and try to ramp back up as the weather starts to improve.
Register for NIC Online to connect with our Information and Referral Specialist today to find recreation and fitness information available to you!
