A simple way to boost your mood and health this winter

• Staying active can vastly improve mood and well-being
• Video series released detailing workouts to do from home
• Weather and restrictions have made it tough to keep moving

The pandemic has made it especially challenging for people to stay active during the winter. With cold weather and health restrictions, it can be hard to find the motivation to keep up with a proper fitness routine.

That is why YMCAs across Canada and ParticipACTION have teamed up to help give Canadians a mood boost, by getting them active no matter where they are in their physical activity journey.

Kelley Taylor, VP of health, fitness, and Aquatics at YMCA of Okanagan, said movement is the best form of health.

“Just moving, being active, whether that’s just walking, or whether that’s doing some high intensity interval training, movement is really the best drug out there if you will,” Taylor said.

The partnership between ParticipACTION and YMCA features two new video series scheduled for release throughout the winter.

These videos showcase activities such as low intensity workouts and stretches, high intensity strength workouts, as well as variable intensity interval training.

“I think just getting on and having a look, and seeing what’s available to you is really important. You can do it all from the comfort of your home if you didn’t want to come into one of the centres,” Taylor said.

Taylor added the biggest challenge for people who are trying to stay active was gym closures, although they have reopened with some restrictions.

“Especially at this time of the year, when it is challenging to get outside with the inclement weather, and you never know what you’re going to get outside,” she said.

Maintaining regular movement is critically important, according to Taylor.

“For me, if I sit all day, at the end of the day I feel like I'm so stiff just because I haven’t been able to get up and move around, and we can imagine if that’s months on months on months,” Taylor said.

“We’re hopefully helping people to remove any barriers that they have, in order to be healthy, and just to be able to move and feel good about themselves.”