I know it’s tough.  Once the holiday season has past, winter seems to suck the life out of many of us. The days are short, it’s too cold to go outside and inside.. Well, is there anything more life-sucking than another car commercial?  There are days when winter just makes you want to scream!!

The answer to that pent up winter frustration is simple and you’ve heard it before. Get outside!!  What? You’re ready to skip the rest of this post?  Fine, go back to your car commercial then.. But you don’t really want to do THAT do you?  The thing is we already know the answer. The problem is getting motivated to do it.  That’s what winter can do to you.  It magnifies the reasons not to be active.  In the summer we’re too this and too that. In the winter we’re too this and too that.. AND it’s freaking cold outside!!  I can’t tell you how to beat that.  We each have to find our way.  But if you really want to get those winter cobwebs out of your head, you’ve just gotta get out.  It’s cold.  It is.  But if you get active, you’ll hardly notice… for awhile.  I promise!

Staying warm involves a few things, the right food & hydration, warm breathable clothing and the main bit… You have to keep moving.  Our bodies are made for out-of-doors activity.  That’s just how we go.  Once you get moving, you’re heart will start pumping and your body will start producing the heat you need to stay warm.  If all you have to base your winter feelings on is ice fishing or snowmobiling, it’s time for some fresh data. Movement keeps you warm.  Most of us have stories from childhood about being outside for hours. (Well, the old ones among us anyway!).  Sometimes it seemed as if we never got cold.  You know why right?  We were running around being crazy. Childhood is wonderful!  As adults we tend to frown upon activity.  I’m not sure where that came from.  It’s bad for us and we know it.  Thing is, maybe you have to ease back into it slowly.

Now of course you can get into winter sports.  Cross country skiing & snowshoeing always come up in these “get out doors” articles.  Here in Baraboo you can rent cross country skis or snowshoes at Wildside for just $15 bucks a day, but I’m not sure that’s easing in.  If you are not usually an outdoor person, the idea of winter “sports” may not be what you are looking for… yet. Maybe you just need to go for a brisk walk.  The “brisk” bit is how you keep warm remember.  Too slow and you’ll simply freeze out there.

Yesterday we did just that.  We, like many folks yesterday, had planned some time sitting around the television watching the football playoffs. Yet the thought of just passing time until the snack tray arrived seemed a bit well… “yuk”!  Instead we packed everyone up and went walking on the Baraboo river walk below Oschner’s park.  We spent a couple hours traipsing through the snow, chasing the dog and just taking in the fresh air and sunlight.  It was only about four degrees when in the morning and even dressed in all our winter gear the cold did slowly start to seep though.  Feeling a bit tired and with frozen noses we jumped back into the Jeep to head home.   Yeah, we still sat around watching football games. But we felt much happier doing it.

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