Trust Us: These Winter Looks + Fitness Ideas Will Keep You Moving All Season

Maybe you’ve set fitness goals and hit one after the other all year long. Or you’ve discovered an amazing approach to movement that you really love instead of dread. Either way, you’re crushing it, and you’re feeling good. But as soon as a late afternoon sunset becomes the new normal, inertia alone may not be enough to keep your body moving.

The days are shorter and darker this time of year, which can throw off the 24-hour light/dark cycle our brains are accustomed to for functions like sleep and metabolism—and yes, impact our physical and mental health as a result.

Maximizing your exposure to daylight in the morning hours (yep, this may mean an earlier bedtime!) not only helps your body adjust naturally to the season’s darker days, but it helps stave off the winter blues. Rise with the sun and set a winter morning ritual that involves movement—whether it’s a sequence of opener stretches (try these early-morning routines for shoulders, hips, and feet) or a short walk to the coffee shop to get in some extra steps on your way to the office.

Aka, train for one! For running newbies and PR chasers alike, anticipating a big race in the spring is a guaranteed way to keep your body not just moving, but in peak physical condition during the winter months. Find a training schedule that challenges you and stick to it, and cross-train with an indoor workout at your favorite studio or gym.

When you can, skip the treadmill for outdoor runs. Keep in mind that once you get moving, your body heats up fast, and the cold temps in the forecast don’t exactly feel like it. A rule of thumb to calculate your running temperature is to add 10-20 degrees to the outside temperature, depending on your pace and the length of your run.

Hiking, ice skating, cross-country skiing, regular skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, igloo building—pick a sport, any sport. Trying out a new activity for the first time is guaranteed to feel less like heart-pumping exercise and more like just plain fun.