Winter can be a tough season, filled with cold weather, short days and icy conditions. This can make it tough to get out and tough to focus on getting healthy.

If you’re finding it difficult to focus on getting healthy, you’re not alone. In fact, over 80% of Manitobans believe they aren’t doing enough or could be doing more to prevent disease and live a healthy life.

As a doctor, I’m here to offer some of my favourite ways to get your heart beating this winter here in Manitoba, the heart of Canada.

Best of all, if you take one step towards getting healthy this winter you could win as part of the Getting Healthy Challenge from Doctors Manitoba, including the grand prize of six months of free groceries -- worth $5,000!

Skating

I love skating. That feeling of gliding across the ice is exhilarating.

For a great place to lace up for a casual skate, I like the duck pond at Assiniboine Park. I enjoy some ODR time too, heading to a neighbourhood outdoor rink to shoot the puck around. Skating is a great idea for getting healthy because it can scale from a casual pace to an intensive workout. In addition to being great for your cardiovascular health, skating can help with balance, flexibility and muscle strengthening. Best of all, it’s a lot of fun and something you can do on your own or with others.

Tobogganing at Kildonan Park

It’s not winter if you haven’t got the sled out!

There are some great toboggan slides in our province — like my favourite at Kildonan Park — though the warm weather this winter has meant some have struggled to stay open. If the winter slide you love is closed, try a toboggan hill.

Aside from helping to get you moving this winter, the trek up the hill offers a great work out in our otherwise flat prairie province. I also find tobogganing to be a stress reliever, helping to clear my mind as I hang on for dear life and enjoy the ride.

Being Social

Let’s face it, sometimes the easiest thing to do in winter is hibernate. The cold and snowy weather can be isolating and lonely. One of the best things we can do is be social this winter. Connect with your family and friends as often as you can.

One of my favourite winter activities is to have a bonfire with my family, with a mug of hot cocoa in hand. Sharing a winter walk with someone is another way of both being social and building in some activity. A classic Manitoba two-fer! Try out the trails in Assiniboine Forest in Winnipeg.

If you’d rather be inside, try heading out for a meal at a local restaurant, head to The Leaf at Assiniboine Park or give mall walking a try.

Connecting with friends and family offers many health benefits. Research shows social connections can help you to reduce stress and anxiety, make healthier choices and improve sleep, among other benefits, Luckily, Manitoba offers so many options to get out and connect with others.

Ice Fishing in Lac du Bonnet

Speaking of being social, have you tried ice fishing? Personally, it’s something I love to do in the Lac du Bonnet area, but there are countless options across Manitoba. Just be sure the ice is safe.

Ice fishing is a great way to spend a day with friends or family, and you probably won’t even realize you’re getting healthy in the process. Plus, incorporating some freshwater fish into your diet is a good choice for your health. Best of all, your food is free!

You can boost the health benefits of ice fishing by walking out to your fishing spot, manually drilling your fishing hole with a hand auger, and getting up and moving while waiting for a bite.

Fat Biking on Seine River

If you have the opportunity and the inclination to try something different, consider fat biking this winter.

Fat biking is a unique experience, especially in the snow. The tires are almost comically big, which means the ultimate traction on snow and ice. It’s the monster truck of cycling. That opens up possibilities to take a bike to places you wouldn’t normally consider.

The best way to try this out is with a rental -- check out Kendrick's Outdoor Adventures in Winnipeg, Pinawa Unplugged in Pinawa or Friends of Riding Mountain National Park in Wasagaming, for just a few options.

In colder temperatures when the ice is safe, my favourite spot is on the Seine River in old St. Vital.

Take the Getting Healthy Challenge and Win!

I hope I’ve offered some inspiration for getting healthy this winter while enjoying all that Manitoba has to offer. You can get even more ideas from Travel Manitoba, including their list of 50 things to do this winter in Manitoba.

Take one step towards getting healthy and you can enter to win the winter Getting Healthy challenge from Doctors Manitoba. Entering is easy, free and the grand prize is 6 months of free groceries -- worth $5,000. Check out GettingHealthy.ca to enter, along with tips from Manitoba’s doctors on how to focus on getting healthy this winter. Hurry, because the contest closes February 15, 2024!