Movement Tips During Winter In Calgary
February in Calgary is notoriously chilly, but 2025 has brought record-breaking cold—the coldest start in 50 years! Don’t let the frigid temperatures sideline your health. The M2M team has compiled five practical resources to help you stay active, limber, and pain-free all winter long.
5 Easy Ways to Stay Active during Calgary’s Coldest Month!
1. Warm Up with Full Body CARs
Combat cold-induced stiffness with Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs). These controlled, circular joint movements improve flexibility, mobility, and lubrication, while also strengthening supporting muscles and preventing injuries—crucial in cold weather when muscles are more prone to strain.
2. Move Your Spine with Spinal Waves
Spinal waves are fantastic for maintaining spinal health, especially in the cold. These flowing movements increase flexibility, reduce stiffness, strengthen core muscles for better posture, enhance body awareness, and even improve breathing. They can also help prevent cold-weather back injuries.
Check out these two tutorials to help guide your spinal health journey.
Basic Tutorial
Thoracic Focus
3. Shoulder Health – The Hanging Challenge
Combat the effects of prolonged sitting (which often increases in cold weather) with regular hanging. This strengthens your shoulders, improves range of motion, and can help prevent tension in your neck, upper back and throughout your shoulders.
Learn more about the benefits of hanging:
Challenge: Accumulate 7 minutes of hanging daily for 30 days. Vary your hand positions and supports. If you can’t hang fully, support some weight with your feet. Consistency is key!
4. Unroll Yourself: Hip Mobility in Winter
Resist the urge to become a human burrito! Hip extension exercises are your antidote to cold-weather stiffness. They maintain hip mobility, counteract inactivity, strengthen muscles for better posture, and generate warmth.
5. Step Outside: Go for a Walk!
Even in the chill, walking remains one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to stay active. It keeps your joints limber and helps prevent bone thinning. Bundle up, grab your hand warmers, and enjoy a winter walk! Consider adding shoe spikes for extra traction on icy surfaces to prevent falls and make your walk even more enjoyable.
If you are new to movement and want to explore any of these areas further, feel free to visit our website for more information!