It’s winter in Wisconsin, which means no one wants to go outside because of the cold. This year, however, has been quite unusual with it’s daytime highs in the balmy thirties. Possibly, winter just showed up this week with the more usual single to below zero digits, but that does not appear to be lasting for long. With the warmer winter temps, it should be easier for everyone to get outside.
My Dr. wants me to go outside and walk. Walking in the cold is highly unappealing to me. What I might do, however, is drag my wonderful husband outside to build a snowman. You heard me right. There are tons of benefits to this particular activity.
First, it allows you to do something playful and fun with your significant other. What better way to get in touch with one another than to play in the snow? Snowball fights will most likely happen, but that is completely okay as long as you do not pepper each other in the face with ice. The rolling of snowballs for your snowman will force you to use your muscles to push and lift. You will be laughing at how much strength you no longer realized it took to lift a giant snowball, which in turn will release endorphins. To top of the benefits, you will also be soaking in some much needed vitamin D, which will lift your spirits further. The whole process is a win.
If snowman building isn’t your thing, then maybe you want to try something more creative such as building a snow castle? This activity can provide several days of work and exercise and is best done with a partner. The benefits listed above apply to this situation as well, but I would recommend researching how to build a proper ice castle, prior to beginning. Ice castles can be dangerous if they are not stabilized properly.
For more information on the benefits of winter, as well as going outside to play in the snow, please see the below links:
5 Benefits to Building a Snowman – Dickinson & Branon Dental Care (dbdentalcarevt.com)
How to Build a Snow Castle with Your Kids (yahoo.com)
10 Surprising Health Benefits Of Snow Very Few People Know About – Women.com
5 Incredible Benefits of Playing Outside in the Snow (creativehealthyfamily.com)
Star Spirit Adventures 