Stay outside: Winter cross-training

Most runners can’t stand being stuck indoors, but sometimes the footing is just not conducive to running. Here are some winter cross-training activities to stay in shape, stay outside and increase your fitness this winter, not matter what Mother Nature has planned.

Nordic Skiing

Though it is also called cross-country skiing, this sport should really also be called “the-hardest-full-body-workout-you-will-ever-experience.” There is a reason that Nordic Olympians top the charts for aerobic capacity. There are two distinct styles of Nordic skiing—classic, and skate. Classic skiing often takes places within designated tracks and is essentially a running motion. Skate skiing, for anyone who has ever downhill skied, is essentially the motion ‘skating’ motion that one performs to get over the flats to the chairlift…except you keep doing it for multiple Ks.

If you love trail running, Nordic skiing is a fantastic way to stay on the trails all year long. Another bonus is the price range—compared to downhill skiing, with most full day passes coming in around $25.00, while a downhill day pass usually hits you up for around $60.00.

Skating

Though we can skate indoors all year round, there is nothing quite like an outdoor rink. Most cities have at least one—and the hours are usually convenient for all types of schedules. As an added bonus, skating requires the use of more stabilizer muscles in your glutes and squads to keep you from slipping, which will be beneficial to your running.

Don’t like crowded rinks, or can’t stand the idea of being off the trails? Arrowhead Provincial Park in Huntsville, ON has a 1.5K skate trail that can give you the best of both worlds.

Snowshoeing

If the fear of slipping is what traps you indoors during the winter months, snowshoeing is just the activity for you. You can even participate in snowshoe races!

Don’t underestimate this type of workout—it may look like a pleasant walk in the woods, but you end up feeling the extra weight around you ankles.

Tobogganing

Possibly the most fun winter activity out there, sledding can also offer a great workout (if you’re willing to commit). Run up the hill and then reward yourself with a slide down—it may just be the most exhilarating hill workout of your life. Plus, if you have kids, you’ll get extra points for not being the boring parent that stands freezing their toes off at the bottom of the hill.