Keeping Active in the Colder Months

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I don’t know about you, but there has been a definite drop in temperature in the last week. I don’t mind the colder days, but I find that sudden change is a hard week and it’s definitely a shock to the system to need the central heating on a little more than usual. It’s also too easy to stay warm inside rather than heading out and about. With that in mind, here are some ways to keep yourself and your children active in the colder months when all you really want to do is curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a book!

Set Targets

Set yourself targets of spending either a certain amount of time outdoors or completing a number of steps. I’ve written before about virtual running events, and you can also sign up to similar events that reward miles walked. It can be a great way to motivate yourself and others if you’ve committed to a target and have to share evidence. I have a Garmin Vivoactive that I wear much of the time and it can be great for giving you a nudge and a reminder about how little you might have moved some days and can be a motivator to walk a little further to complete another mile or complete another 1000 steps.

Embrace Two Wheels

Children love bikes and once they’ve mastered them, they’re a great way to get out and get active. There are lots of different bikes for children, and it’s worth doing your research. You want something that is light enough for them to use and enjoy using as well as being easy to look after and maintain. Both the older two can ride bikes and enjoy heading out with Damian on his bike. I’ve taken them around the park when I have been out walking and they are usually much more enthusiastic to cycle than walk which makes it all a much more enjoyable outing!

Explore New Areas

Children love exploring new areas and we have used 2020 to find some new to us places to visit. We have enjoyed visiting some new reservoirs and exploring those as well as some more local woodland. It’s also fun to listen out for the different bird calls and try to identify the birds, as well as spot some. We were lucky enough to see some woodpeckers on a recent walk and of course, at this time of year, we spot lots of robins! We got super close to one which landed on a branch next to us when we were out earlier in the week. Seeing the world through your children’s eyes always helps to encourage enthusiasm in the natural world around them.

YouTube Workouts

On those days when you’re really not feeling it and really can’t face getting warm and bundled then embrace YouTube! There are so many workouts on there from those aimed specifically at children to others that are family workouts. If you have exercise equipment you can use that and, of course, some friendly competition between parents and kids if sure to keep them motivated!

Be silly!

Last but not least – be silly! I am sure most of us have bundled children out the door when they’ve been less than enthusiastic. In those instances why not try to be as silly as possible; see who can jump the furthest or how many hops it takes to the end of the road. Who can do the silliest walk and who can do the fastest walk. Taking it in turns to be a leader and to initiate a funny walk will keep even the grumpiest of children entertained for a time and adds a bit of fun to the day.