Staying active in the winter can be a challenge. With shorter days and colder weather, there can be many distractions keeping away from focusing on health priorities. 

Exercise is important for many reasons. Mostly because it keeps our bodies in shape, but it’s also important for all-around health. Exercising can promote good sleeping patterns, it increases energy levels, reduces the chance of disease, and can be very beneficial for mental health. It’s typically recommended that teenagers, ages 13-18 too exercise for at least an hour a day. This can mean playing sports, going for a walk, or even just doing household chores like vacuuming or shoveling snow. 

Teenagers who play sports already get plenty of exercise. Those who don’t may struggle to meet the guidelines, which is why it’s important to make sure everyone’s finding time each day, or even a few times per week, to focus on your health. While exercise is very important, it’s also important to pick forms of exercise that you enjoy. SPA offers many winter sports such as hockey, basketball, skiing, fencing, and boys swimming. Looking ahead, SPA has many springs sports that students are still eligible to join such as; softball, baseball, golf, lacrosse, boys tennis, and track. Students who play sports get great fitness benefits, but not necessarily the stress-reducing benefits that walking outdoors or doing yoga can. 

Regular physical activity has been shown to improve people’s moods by decreasing stress and depression, something many students struggle with. Exercise outdoors in daylight is a great way to combat seasonal depression, although it’s not always an option in the winter. Maintaining a lifestyle that incorporates regular physical activity, along with healthy eating and sleeping habits may significantly decrease stress and improve overall happiness and mood. 

One of the main excuses is the lack of time in our days to exercise. Coming up with a routine can solve this problem; make a habit out of being active regularly. Exercise can also be a challenge in the winter as it is harder to be outside, and there may be less motivation because of the cold weather. Playing indoor sports, or going to the gym is a great way to stay active in the winter, and having set times to workout is a good way to get motivated. 

School can also make health less of a priority as the majority of school is spent indoors sitting in a classroom, especially in the winter. The amount of homework given is also a factor taking away from health priorities because it takes up free time. Although school leaves less time for physical activity, it shouldn’t be an excuse. The best way to incorporate physical activity, besides after school sports, is by starting a habit of moving your body as soon as you get home from school. This not only improves will your physical health, but it also allows your brain a break from schoolwork.

The human brain was not designed to be constantly working all day. With school as a big part of teenager’s lives, it can be hard to maintain the right amount of relaxation time for your brain. With shorter days in the winter, many of us get into habits of working seven to ten hour days, coming home to continue school work, eat, go to bed, all to get up and do it again the next day. This lifestyle creates major stress as well as mental and physical health problems.

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Milo Waltenbaugh

Exercise can be a challenge in the winter as it is harder to be outside, and there may be less motivation because of the cold weather. However, this could be combated with winter and indoor sports, like hockey.

Exercise will overall improve our lives by keeping us happier and healthier. Winter can make fitness goals less of a priority, which is why it’s important to keep our bodies in shape throughout the winter, and for the rest of our lives. The earlier you get into a regular fitness habit, the better and easier it will be to continue staying fit throughout your life.