Keep Moving in Wintertime

As physical therapists, we see a decline in client participation in the wintertime months for a variety of reasons.  Maintaining your activity level can be tough, but it will help improve not only your strength and balance in order to prevent injuries in the snow/ice, but it will also improve your immune system, mood, and social interactions, which can also decrease over the winter.  We wanted to discuss some things to consider as we move towards those colder months and ways you can proactively plan ahead so you are ready when the weather turns!

Things you may not think about when it comes to being active over the winter:

• Even if your exercise stays the same, you are often more inactive in the dark, cold months and might need to increase your exercise volume to counter that.

• Boredom can often come with repetitive indoor activities which can lead to decreased motivation and less volume of movement.

• Cold muscles might need more time to warm up so adding an appropriate length of a warmup time is necessary.

• The cold weather often results in less sweating so individuals can be more dehydrated without that cue to drink more water.

• Less daylight hours can impact mood and energy levels, which can negatively affect participation in exercise programs.

• Safety is a big concern as temperatures drop and the risk of ice and snow can be present.

• Holiday schedules, traveling, and fancy meals can impact the usual routine

• Knowing how to dress can be a challenge as it is cold, requiring more coverage, but as you exercise your body quickly warms. It can get too warm if you can’t remove a layer.

• Illness over the winter can often derail regular workout routines.

What you can do to counter these issues:

• Consider getting more time on your feet in addition to your regular schedule. That could be standing during TV commercial breaks, doing a set of squats every hour, or getting extra work done around the house. This can help to mediate the amount of time seated in the winter when the time we usually spend moving around has diminished.

• If the monotony of winter has gotten you bored with your indoor routine, try something new! Consider an indoor class, workout video, meet up with a friend to walk at the mall, turn on some music and dance around the house! Any way you can mix it up during this time can be helpful.

• Think about adding a longer warm up to your regular workout routine if you feel cold and stiff at the start. If you go to a gym for exercise, arriving a few minutes early can help to just warm up more from being outside. 

• Bring a water bottle with you during the day or while you exercise. While you might not feel as thirsty in the winter since you aren’t hot, your body still needs a good amount of water to function properly. The Mayo Clinic suggests eight glasses of 8 oz of water per day, but this can very person to person. If you aren’t getting much water, any improvement from where you are is a step in the right direction!

• Mood is often impacted by the weather so adding something that helps to keep you motivated is necessary during this time of year. This could range from playing your favorite music that motivates you, brightening the lights to pump you up a bit to calling on a friend to keep you accountable and add a layer of fun.

• While activity and exercise are important, safety is paramount. Wearing proper footwear, dressing appropriately for the weather and monitoring for snow and ice are non-negotiables. However, sometimes just staying home and modifying your schedule is the safest option. In this case, you can just skip a day or do some extra movement inside your home. 

• The lack of routine around the holidays can often be quite the challenge. Think about online videos that can travel with you or corral some family members to join you on your daily walk. It is important to keep some flexibility in your schedule but also to prioritize yourself that you do get some movement in.

• Dressing in layers is often the best during this time of year. This allows you to stay warm when needed but also be able to take off a layer as your movement warms your body. Sweat wicking materials can be helpful here too to prevent the damp sweat from remaining close to your skin, making a fast cooldown inevitable.

• Illnesses can run rampant in the winter. Give your body the break it needs and have enough time to recover before you try to resume your regular program. You might find that you feel well enough for some light movement or you just need to rest until you fully recover. Listen to your body and provide it what it needs. 

Upcoming Events

Arthritis 5 Week Group Class 10/16/26-11/13/26 Wednesdays at 12:30

Oasis Senior Advisor Presentation 10/22/26 at 11:30 (Free)

Nutrition Presentation 1/21/27 at 11:30 (Free)

Osteoporosis 5 Week Group Class early 2027; dates to be announced