Fun Ways To Keep Active in the Cold
added 12/14/11
by Tracey Hull, Dietetic Intern
In the summer it’s easy to stay active, but in the middle of winter, it can seem more enjoyable to sit on the couch, maybe in front of the fire or TV, and cuddle up in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate. Ideally, even during the winter adults should be engaging in 30-90 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Here are some fun ways to fit in physical activity and make your winter more enjoyable.
Think back to being a kid when winter meant tons of outdoor fun. Try reconnecting with that inner child. Build a snowman, have a snowball fight, make snow angels. Go sledding! The hill climb is a great workout and the payoff is immediate with a great slide. Feeling adventurous? Get back into downhill skiing or try snowboarding. Like a gentler activity? Check out cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
Even shoveling can be fun when you realize that every hour of it burns up the calories in that eggnog you’ve been enjoying. Non-spiked eggnog has around 225 calories and 10 grams of fat per cup. Shoveling snow burns 414 calories per hour. Scraping the ice off of the car burns 238 calories per hour, so you’ll have to do several cars to burn off that eggnog. But you’ll be fitter and your neighbors will be grateful for your efforts.
Calorie-burning activities for winter fun (for a 150-pound individual):
Snowmobiling: 234 calories per hour
Cross-country skiing: 476 calories per hour
Downhill skiing: 340 calories per hour
Snow shoeing: 476 calories per hour
More calories are burning the more vigorously you do these activities. These numbers are for light effort.
More information:
Activity calorie calculators
http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc –
http://calorielab.com
Vermont Outdoor Guide Association www.voga.org
www.Vermont.gov
www.visitnh.gov
