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Getting outside can often feel easier in the summer—the season of 8 p.m. sunsets, outdoor dining, and open beaches. But as fall winds down, people living in climates with cold or harsh winters can feel like they’re staring down a period of confinement.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Although you’ll probably never head outside in January as easily and casually as you do in June, a little prep work and some practice can pay off in more time spent out of doors in the winter. To help break things down, SELF talked to experienced outdoor enthusiasts to get their advice and best practices for winter recreation.
1. Calibrate your expectations
When trying to spend more time outside, it’s helpful to set the bar a bit low and maybe even redefine what counts as activity. For example, hiking doesn’t have to mean a four-hour trek through snow to a picturesque vista; it can be as simple as a stroll around the neighborhood or standing on the back porch. “In the outdoor industry specifically, there can be a lot of debate about what’s actually considered a hike,” Brooke Murray—cofounder of Wild Kind, a membership community for parents who want to do outdoor recreation with their children—tells SELF. “And I feel like with kids, if I’m walking on a dirt path, I’m calling it a hike.” Heather Balogh Rochfort, an outdoor journalist and the other co-founder of Wild Kind, agrees: “It doesn’t have to always be the scenic postcard. It could just be right outside your front door.”
Along with walking, birdwatching is another low-stakes activity that can be fun in the colder months, and can be done in your own backyard or a nearby park. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could combine it with something more active like snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. Beyond that, there are always the classic high-octane winter sports of skiing and snowboarding, or traditional regional pastimes like ice fishing.
But being outside doesn’t have to relate to fitness either, which can be a change for people used to exercising outside in other seasons. Outdoor advocate and climber Katie Boué says that in the winter, she splits up her exercise goals from time outdoors.
“I don't go outside in the wintertime for fitness, period,” she says. “When I go outside in the winter, it’s purely to interact with nature and fresh air, and get out there and enjoy it.”
Murray and Balogh Rochfort—who have four children between them—say that when they plan an outing, their goal is generally to stay outside as long as it took to get everyone packed up and ready. This rule of thumb can also work for adults, many of whom also see getting geared up and out the door as a big hurdle.
Plus, if you’re recovering from an injury, childbirth, or illness, your activity level this winter may not look like it used to, Rachel Welch, a pre- and post-natal fitness expert and the founder of Revolution Motherhood, tells SELF. “Know that it’s okay to start a little slower,” she says.
2. Always prioritize safety
Safety and preparation can mean a lot of things, and will depend on your needs and your chosen outdoor activity. On a personal level, doing some targeted exercises can help reduce your risk of falling and prepare your body to more easily handle winter activities.
Matt Scott, a personal trainer in London, says that many of his clients shift their exercise focus toward ski prep this time of year. But even if you don’t plan to hit the slopes, there’s value in focusing on the major muscle groups relevant to many winter sports: the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and the glutes. Core strength is also important. “We always encourage our clients to do a lot of balance work,” Scott says. When these muscle groups are activated, Welch says, you can rely on them in your day-to-day life, where they help support your posture and movement in all kinds of daily activities—and especially when doing things like ice skating or walking across snow.
Trail and terrain research can be extra important in the winter months, when weather can be fickle and getting caught outside for longer than you expected can be downright dangerous, especially for kids. (Murray and Balogh Rochfort require trip leaders at Wild Kind to have taken a wilderness first aid course and recommend everyone pack a first aid kit.) Knowing the current trail conditions can mean the difference between a successful outing and a disappointment, says Syren Nagakyrie, the founder of Disabled Hikers and author of the The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon. If it’s snowed or been icy recently, will the paved trail you were planning to take be shoveled or plowed? How about the parking lot?
It’s wise to call in advance to check up-to-date trail conditions, Nagakyrie says. You should also inquire about whether all trails and facilities, like bathrooms, are open, though this information is often hard to come by. Depending on where you live, you might have some luck asking on a local Facebook group or subreddit.
Nagakyrie’s advice applies to other winter activities as well. Ski resorts will issue regular reports on current conditions and how much snow there is, and local parks departments will have updates on planned activities and park closures depending on the weather. You can also search Instagram for geo-tagged posts from the place you plan to visit. Recent photos will give you some insight into what you’re likely to encounter. It’s also wise to have a backup plan in case your first choice of activity can’t happen.
If your outing relies on driving to and from a particular location, make sure you have a clear weather window to get there and home again, and take earlier sunset times into account. And don’t forget to prep your vehicle for winter: The Washington State Department of Transportation recommends always having at least half of a tank of gas in case you become stranded, and keeping an emergency kit in your car that includes food and water. They also recommend packing jumper cables, and a cell phone charger.
Finally, commit to stopping your activity as soon as you start to get tired. Injuries are more likely to occur, Scott says, when people are fatigued. They try things they shouldn’t, or just make poor decisions that can put them at risk of injury.
3. Make sure you have the right gear and that you’re getting the most out of it
The advice to “wear layers” may be familiar, but put on too many and you could end up sweaty and damp. “Getting too warm in the winter is just as bad as getting too cold in the winter,” outdoor advocate and professional skier Brody Leven tells SELF. It’s important to layer strategically and in a way that makes sense for your activity level—so you stay warm when you’re moving less and comfortable when you’re moving more.
Wool is an ideal material for a base layer (the layer worn closest to the body). Wool wicks away moisture from the skin and naturally resists getting stinky, Leven says. He also recommends a waterproof shell as your outermost layer when there’s rain or snow to contend with. For kids, who often are rolling and sitting in the snow or on the ground, repelling moisture is vital. Balogh Rochfort recommends a one-piece snowsuit for kids of five years and under, as it traps heat better than multiple pieces.
Leven also says it’s important to think about your feet. His advice is to wear the thinnest wool socks you can to keep your feet warm, especially during high-intensity activities. If you’re just standing around, though, wear thicker wool socks.
Clothes aren’t the only gear to consider. Snow sports have their obvious requirements (skis, helmets, boots), but there are other gadgets can make or break your experience outside. “I always tell folks, ‘Don’t underestimate the importance of using trekking poles,’” says Nagakyrie, who cites their benefits in maintaining balance, especially in icy conditions. These poles, similar in appearance to ski poles, can help support you on steep or difficult terrain, and start at around $30. “They made a huge difference in my ability to hike,” Nagakyrie says.
Pocket hand warmers are another of Nagakyrie’s go-to pieces of gear. Items like these can meaningfully extend the time you can be comfortably outdoors.
High-quality winter gear is not necessarily cheap, but the experts SELF spoke with all had small hacks to help defray costs. Boué cruises Poshmark for secondhand Smartwool base layers. Balogh Rochfort and Murray suggested looking in local Facebook groups to see if anyone is offering used kids’ gear for sale or trade. Buy-nothing groups may also have options for adults. Some gear shops are more helpful than others in making gear last longer. Lands End, for example, has a Lost Mitten Club—they’ll replace any in-stock glove or mitten for half the price of a pair. Many kids’ outdoor brands now add extra seams in the arms of coats and the legs of pants, to extend the life of the garment for a fast-growing cohort.
4. Bring tasty treats
Do not overlook snacks, even if you don’t expect to be outside for very long. As you get cold, Leven explains, your body prioritizes keeping your core warm, which leaves your fingers and toes colder. Eating and drinking regularly throughout your time outside will help give your body the calories it needs to keep you warm. “Every time I’ve gotten frostbite on my fingers and toes, it is because I haven’t been eating and drinking,” Leven says.
As for what to bring, the shortest and best answer here—from everyone SELF spoke with—was to pack foods and drinks you’re excited to eat. If you don’t want to eat it, it won’t feel like it’s worth the hassle of taking off your mittens and getting it out.
Snacking in the winter takes a little more creativity since there’s the potential for your food to freeze or get hard and become difficult to eat. If you like energy bars or a similar type of food, Leven suggests cutting them into pieces before you leave, so you can eat a little bit at a time.
Hydration is, of course, key, but cold water can be especially unappetizing when it’s cold out, Leven says. Instead, he fills a thermos with hot chocolate or tea. Boué recommends putting snacks at the top of a backpack so they’re easy to reach. She favors holiday baked goods and even leftovers.
Balogh Rochfort is a strong proponent of the “pocket burrito,” which she puts into the pocket of her shell: “It kind of fits right into those deep pockets, and you eat a burrito all day.”
If you go that route, just be mindful of food safety and the outdoor temperature. The USDA says to throw away perishable food that has been left at room temperature (above 40 degrees) for more than two hours.
5. Lean into what’s great about winter
It’s wonderful to curl up indoors when it’s cold out, but skipping outside time in the winter can mean missing out on a really special season in a lot of places. Even if where you live doesn’t get cold or snowy, there are still usually seasonal shifts in the winter months to observe. “The Pacific Northwest turns into a really magical landscape that I really love,” Nagakyrie says. “The moss just gets so green and plump from the rain.”
Outdoor winter activities can also lower the risk of indoor illness transmission. “With fewer hours of daylight, and heightened precautions around indoor playdates due to circulating viruses, my kiddos need outdoor play more than ever in the winter,” Murray says. Murray, who has a history of seasonal affect disorder, says she finds being “outside in the brisk air with the sparkling snow to be a powerful reset tool.”
Finally, there’s the aesthetics of winter, which are often stellar. “For those of us willing to bundle up and get out, we’re rewarded with this beautiful and peaceful world that nature created,” Balogh Rochfort says. “It’s not even hyperbole: Everything glitters in the winter.”
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