Shoveling snow:  This may not seem like an obvious activity that will keep you active, but shoveling snow burns 400-600 calories an hour (WebMD) and is great for strengthening arms. When there is a lot of snow, this activity can be extremely difficult and strenuous, so make sure to take breaks by warming up inside with some hot chocolate! Not only can you get a good workout in, you can make your parents happy or potentially get paid by a neighbor.

Ice skating: Not only is ice skating a fun, classic winter activity, it is also great exercise. Ice skating helps build leg muscles and improves balance. Ice skating is a great aerobic workout as well, which does not seem difficult at the time.

  “I love to go ice skating a lot over the winter because it’s such a fun way to hang out with friends and exercise at the same time without having to go to a gym,”  Paige Knisley (’18) said,“Plus it’s a really nice escape from being stuck inside because of the cold weather.”  

    There are many inexpensive places to go ice skating around NOVA such as Skatequest, Reston Town Center and Fairfax Ice Arena.

Zumba classes/Born 2 dance: Gyms offer a variety of fun activities you can participate in like zumba, hot yoga and barre activities. This is another great way to have fun with your friends  while still working out. Zumba provides a large calorie burn; as many as 1,000 calories can be burned in one session. Hot yoga increases flexibility and is a great way to stay warm in the winter. Barre activities makes your body stronger and help core strength. Born 2 Dance is right in downtown Vienna and offers many different dance and barre classes starting at $20, for people of varying experience levels. Most gyms also offer classes for free if you are a member.

Cross country skiing: Cross country skiing is a great activity to do when there is sufficient snowfall. Cross country skiing is a total body workout and burns 500-900 calories per hour depending on your pace (Calorie Lab). You can cross country ski in many places around town or even in a neighborhood. All you need is a pair of skis and snow to get a great workout.

Spinning: Spinning is a form of indoor exercise which involves high intensity bicycling. Spinning can help improve cardiovascular health, as well as build leg muscles and burn fat. These classes are offered at a various health clubs and gyms around Vienna. Spinning is a great way to get out of the house during the winter.

      “I like spinning because the music makes it fun and the time always goes by fast but it’s still a really good workout. Since it’s inside you can do it all year round which is nice.” Nehal Jain (’18) said.

   Nehal attends spinning classes at Zengo cycle in the Mosaic District and would definitely recommend it.