Just like you, we’re all doing our part and staying home as much as possible. But staying home doesn’t mean you’re stuck on the couch. Since the pandemic has started, many people have increased their screen time by over 200 per cent while anxiety rates have soared. It is important we take steps in improving our mental and physical well-being.
Spending twenty minutes outside can decrease fatigue, restore mental energy, decrease heart rate, and much more. There is an endless variety of activities to explore outside that can improve you and your family’s health.
Please, make an effort to spend some time outside today. Manitobans are more equipped to thrive in winter than anyone, so let’s celebrate the qualities that make us who we are.
Here are seven ways you can spend time outside today:
Go Skating
Glide across the ice as you breathe in the brisk Manitoban air, feel the wind blow across your cheeks as you sway down the frozen landscape, and partake in one of Manitoba’s oldest winter traditions, almost anywhere.
Go On a Winter Hike
Whether it’s finding a undiscovered trail close to home or just doing your usual walking route in reverse, getting your legs moving in winter just feels good. Plus, hiking in the winter can raise your metabolic rate 40 per cent higher than in summer, and can help prevent SAD.
If you’re not sure where to go, the trails here at FortWhye Alive are a beautiful option.
Blow Winter Bubbles
Try something you’ve never done before by conducting your own at-home science experiment. A fun activity to do with kids or younger relatives, watch bubbles slowly crystalize in the frozen air as you create your own reverse snow globes.
Click here to learn how to blow winter bubbles.
Bird Watch
Discover your inner ornithologist while at home and observe over fifty winter bird species. Walk around your neighbourhood or discover the many species we have here in our forests at FortWhyte Alive. Check out this list of birds you can find in Manitoba.
If you are having trouble finding birds in your neighbourhood, bring them to your front door by creating and hanging a bird feeder. Bird feeders can attract a variety of birds to your home and foster biodiversity in your own backyard. You can find feeders, seed, and birdwatching accessories online at our Nature Shop, or learn how to build a bird feeder of your own.
Go Ice Fishing
Plunge your lures into the frozen waters and reel in dinner for you and your family. Even if you’re catching and releasing, finishing is a great way to connect with nature and spend time clearing your thoughts with a fulfilling activity. Manitoba has over 100,000 lakes, and you can find fish below the ice in almost any of them.
Make a Walking Playlist
Explore new music as you walk through your neighbourhood. You may find this changes your community perspective and give new life to a familiar outing. Find new songs to add to your library and relax by creating a playlist or diving into a new podcast.
Have a Bonfire
Being outside doesn’t mean you have to exercise. Just being outside can improve mental health and decrease anxiety. Relax with a cup of hot chocolate around a winter bonfire with your household and enjoy the crackle of the firewood as you embrace its warming glow.
We want to thank you for your commitment to caring for others. While we weather this storm, it is essential that we stay home as much as we can to protect each other. Together, we will get through this.
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Looking to spend more time outside in 2021? Pick up a FortWhyte Alive Membership and connect with over 5,000 passionate nature lovers and changemakers. Memberships and a carefully curated selection of sustainable and locally made gifts can be purchased through our online store.