Four fun ways to keep active in winter

Yoga is a gentle and relaxing way to get active, but doing it in a hot studio can ramp up the calorie burning potential – and keep you feeling toasty. Hot yoga classes take place in temperatures between 33°C up to a sweltering 40 °C. What better way to beat the bitter December chills?!  

Top tip – can’t make it to class? Turn the heating up at home and try one of the many fantastic yoga instructors on YouTube. Yoga with Adriene is great and has a whole playlist of videos especially for beginners.  

Dance fitness classes like Zumba®, FitSteps® or even Burlexercise are a great way to get fit with a party atmosphere! Dance fitness classes are designed to be easy to follow and adaptable to all fitness levels– so don’t worry if you think you can’t dance. As long as you can feel the music and groove along in time (ish!) to the beat, you’ll be having a blast and clocking up those active minutes whilst brushing up on your dance moves!  

Perhaps a nice bike ride is more your thing, but you’re a bit of a fair-weather cyclist? Well, no excuses – ‘cos these days, many indoor cycling studios bring the outside in. Whether you prefer to plug in your headphones and go it alone on the exercise bikes in the gym, or take part in a group cycling class, virtual cycling means you no longer need to take a rain check on your bike ride. The screens in front of you will have you riding through scenery of snowy mountains, picturesque towns or forest trails – take your pick! 

Cycling is a great low impact option that anybody can do – take it gently if you’re a beginner or ramp up the speed and incline when you’re ready for a challenge. 

Of course, sometimes it’s worth wrapping up warm and embracing the chill. Ice skating is a fun, festive activity that you can enjoy as a family day out, with friends or even make a romantic date night out of it! But there are loads of health benefits too; ice skating can improve balance and flexibility, strengthens muscles and joints and is a great cardio workout! 

There are many indoor ice rinks all over the place (check out Planet Ice to find one near you), or at certain times of year, you can skate under the twinkly lights at the pop-up outdoor rinks, like at Brighton Pavilion or Hyde Park. 

What’s your favourite way to keep active in the winter? We’d love to know!