5 Ways to Stay Active During A Snowstorm

After a crazy holiday season (yes, one month later, we remember well I imagine!) life typically doesn’t slow down entirely. A new year means working to lay a firm foundation for the next 12 months. Whether it’s goal-setting, starting school, taking on a new job or extracurricular, or breaking a habit, our focus is there…

And focusing on rest can be rough!

But, for those of us who live in States where unlikely snowstorms swoop in with white blankets, we have no choice. Our wonderful sanitation department works hard to clear snow, but the process takes longer than it would for other States where snow is expected every year. The result?

We stay “tucked in” by the snow, home in the name of safety until the roads are cleared.

And while some people dread staying home, I absolutely love it!

I’ve learned there are a couple of keys to achieving cheer over cabin fever. We’ll explore the others in my next blog post, but here is your guide to the first one: staying active. Endorphins are the happy chemicals in your body, and exercise releases them. So here is your guide to keeping those endorphins coming while at home!

#1:  Turn your living room into a dance floor.

In Zumba, we have a saying: there are no wrong moves, only remixes! And what better place to dance freely than at home? If you have a game console like Nintendo Switch or PS5, try Just Dance! It features countless hours of fun dances to follow, and the newer editions even have a calorie tracker. For even more fun, compete with a family member on your home dance floor, or even with dancers online!

Don’t own a game console? No worries! All you need is a speaker (zero excuses: even your phone works!) to turn on music and dance like no one is watching. Choose upbeat or calming music—whatever fits your mood and style—and simply move. Trust me: you will feel better doing this than sitting on the couch for hours and hours.

 #2: Deep-clean your home.

I’ll never forget having to log aerobics points during my time at Oral Roberts University. Because the school places an emphasis on educating the “whole person” in spirit, mind, and body, students had to log a certain amount of points each week from activities like running, walking etc. Cleaning was one of those activities, as it does burn calories!

What I love about cleaning is you get exercise and the reward of a cleaner space to enjoy.

And let’s be real: when do most of us really have the time to deep clean beyond basic vacuuming, mopping, and dusting? If you don’t have an answer to this question, consider taking some snowstorm time to deep clean (or at least clean) your home! But please be careful and ask for help if you are moving heavy items around—no need to be in avoidable pain!

#3: Get a snow workout.

Kids love playing in the snow (and so do many adults!). Dress warmly and take brief trips to your front or backyard and create snow art! From snow angels to snowmen, these activities get you moving. Ramp up the intensity of your workout with a snowball fight! For those with a hill, go sledding! The opportunities are so many, and so much fun.

Perhaps less fun yet an awesome workout is shoveling snow. Grab a sturdy shovel and shovel a path in front of your home, or a path to your car. Consider shoveling for a neighbor God places on your heart to help. You will benefit, and so will another person or family.

#4: Turn your home into an indoor gym.

What is so amazing about exercise is you don’t need any kind of equipment for strength and cardio training! For a strength workout, clear an area in your home. Turn on upbeat music and do 3 sets of 10-20 pushups, resting for about 30-60 seconds between each set. Then do 30-50 sit-ups. Finally, try one set each of 20 squats, forward lunges, and backward lunges.

For easy cardio, you can walk laps through your home, going from room to room! Or you can travel up and down flight of stairs (if you have a two-story home). Other activities include jumping rope (with a pretend rope in hand), jumping jacks, and even running in place. Get creative with these activities if you have small children: have them do a jump rope race on one leg from one end of the room to the other, for example!

#5: Create space for stretch therapy.

Stretching our muscles is therapeutic—it helps with muscle recovery and can also help us relax our minds. I recommend grabbing a yoga mat and stretching! Reach for your toes, reach for the sky to start. Try holding stretches for at least a minute--don't rush! My friend and colleague Andrew has offers online yoga workouts that are perfect for home. Click here for a link to his website!

Being snowed in slows us down but should not stop us from moving. If you implement all five of these ways to stay active into your time, you will be on cloud 9 by the time the storm ends. Even implementing one of these will benefit your health greatly. So, in between your reading time or binge-watching of Netflix, take workout breaks!

Note: Always consult with a doctor before beginning any exercise program.