5 Winter Workout Picks That'll Last A Lifetime

As a born and raised Southern Californian, I don’t see much snow. The coolest snow day I ever felt growing up included frost iced over the windshield and playground benches. When you live in L.A., you know what to expect: a year of sunshine.

All the wintertime sports are kind of the same, too, unless you take a big trip up north. So, naturally, I and hundreds of other “sun walkers” find ways to get creative with our winter workouts. Whether or not you take a quick day trip to the snow, I’m giving you exercise routines to do year round, no matter what the weather holds. It is so important to stay in shape, and temperature should not be a factor in maintaining your health. Here are five suggestions for winter workout apparel and routines:

1. Tackle Your Day

I love football! As a woman with no female high school football teams, I settled for “powder-puff”, or flag football. I was starting wide receiver and defensive cornerback. Tackling, blocking interceptions, grasping at fumbles—when the going got rough, I got rougher, and I wanted to play it every day!

Touch football is the ideal winter sport for Southern Californians. You can play it at the beach, park, and even in your backyard. I say “touch” because a lot of times as we get older, usually your inner circle of friends is a mix of men and women, and it makes the game more leveled. Shopping for deals on promocodes.com, you can find Football America selling clearance gear and attire marked down up to 80% off, as well as free shipping on all orders when you spend $99 or more. All you really need is a football, though, and a little friendly collaboration to get an excellent and exciting workout when you play this sport.

2. Sun-kissed Snow

We have to throw one snowy sport in here! My parents took me and my siblings to the snow when we were younger. It was beautiful! Calm, relaxing, reserved. We played a lot with the toboggans we had but since then, I always wanted to try snowboarding. Snowboarding has that perfect sense of thrill while being a fun sport to do with family and friends. However, it takes a lot of preparation heading up to the mountains.

TREW is a great store to shop for winter apparel. With free shipping on orders over $100 and a wide selection of thermals and jackets for men and women, you can get your proper gear easily. Staying warm when you are out snowboarding is really important. Getting what you need makes the difference between an hour trip and a day-long adventure, and if you are going for that adrenaline rush anyway, you may as well do it right.

3. Shake What Your Mamma Gave You

Honestly, I only had to try one Zumba class to know I liked it. You may not think you’re a dancer, but you are. This product is an awesome winter workout because when it’s chilly outside we tend to want to pull the covers over our heads. When you start this exercise routine, you can stay comfy in your sweatpants while having a blast. With dozens of classes offered in even more than dozens of countries, you can shake it whether you are a senior or “kidlet.” Packages range from toning to cardio to salsa-dancing to aquatics! You can order the DVD set, too, when you don’t feel like leaving your house. When you find out how fun it is to dance in your living room, you will be more active than you ever thought during winter!

4. Dip Your Feet In.

When you hear of Under Armour, you probably are considering sports like basketball or hiking. What about swimming? A lot of people may not consider swimming a fun winter sport, but it is actually probably one of the more relaxing workouts you could do during this time of year. Under Armour offers discounted swim equipment whether you are outside or indoors.

Heating up the pool to a warm 80 degrees or indulging in one of the gym’s heated arenas lets the muscles loosen up while you exercise. Swimming forces you to use every muscle in your body and is great for the heart, too. Men, women, and children no matter what age can benefit from this sport year round because even just wading in the water burns off calories. You also keep your muscles active, which is always important. Being an athlete, I know that if I skip a few days working out, it is harder to get back into my routine. You can find great deals on swimwear, sunglasses, sweaters, and sandals, leaving you no excuse not to swim because of the weather.