Winter is almost here, Cincinnati.❄️

Cold, snow, ice and longer nights make you want to stay indoors, snuggled up in your chair or on your couch, under blankets, don’t they? When the temperatures outside fall, you might start to lose your motivation to stay active.

But seniors need to stay active. Exercise and daily movement are critical for keeping your joints limber, muscles toned and mind sharp. They’re important for reducing your risk of developing serious conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, certain cancers, osteoporosis and possibly even dementia.

Many Tristate residents experience seasonal depression, thought to be triggered by less ambient sunlight.

Regular exercise can also help seniors stave off depression and better regulate their moods. That’s particularly important during the winter months; many Tristate residents experience seasonal depression, thought to be triggered by less ambient sunlight.

So how can you beat the blahs and stay healthy in Cincinnati during the cold months? Here are four fun ways seniors can stay active this winter.

1. Go for indoor walks

Find a large, enclosed place where you can take a stroll. Many seniors enjoy mall walking, because it’s an indoor activity and easy to keep track of the distances they walk.

Large, local culture and heritage sites like the Cincinnati Art Museum or the Contemporary Arts Center (which both offer free admission), or the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, are also excellent places to get your walk in while engaging your mind.

2. Go for outdoor walks

So it’s cold out. No worries! As long as the ground isn’t icy, bundle up and take a brisk walk through your neighborhood, through your neighborhood’s business district or in a local park or nature preserve. The exercise in and of itself will help you to generate body heat and stay warm.

Wear loose, comfortable layers. Use a thin synthetic material closest to your skin — it’ll wick sweat away from your body. Next, add a breathable insulating layer like fleece or a downy undercoat, which will keep you warm. For your outermost layer, wear a waterproof overcoat, to protect you from the wind and elements.

Be sure to wear a knit cap that covers your ears, or a winter hat with ear flaps. A large portion of your body’s heat is radiated from the top of your head.

3. Join a gym, YMCA, community pool or fitness center

A paid gym or pool membership can be a strong incentive to get out and exercise. Light weight circuit training, recumbent bike-riding and cross-country ski machines are excellent ways for seniors to stay in shape.

Yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, spinning or other group fitness classes are another excellent way to limber up and to meet other seniors. Many YMCAs and community centers offer free or otherwise affordable fitness classes.

Lap swimming is a wonderful, low-impact exercise for seniors. Heated pools can be soothing for sore muscles and help to loosen up stiff, arthritic joints. Lap swimming builds tensile muscle strength, strengthens the tendons and ligaments that connect bones to each other and increases your lung health and cardiovascular fitness.

It’s also great exercise for weight control; overweight seniors can burn a lot of calories while reducing the risk of impact injuries that they might otherwise face in the weight room.

4. Work out in your home

If working out at the gym isn’t your thing, get some hand weights and stretch bands to use at home for strength and resistance training. You can turn your home into a mini-gym.

Many libraries stock aerobic training DVDs — you could check some out and exercise in your living room. Just be sure you have plenty of room to move around if you do choose to work out at home.

Rearrange furniture to minimize your risk of tripping and falling over obstacles, and have carpet bubbles or loose floor tiles tacked down and tightened. Buy a cushioning mat and use it whenever you do sit-ups, push-ups, or other floor-based exercise.

Staying active isn’t difficult in the winter.

It just takes a little more initiative, and maybe a little more wardrobe planning if you plan to exercise outdoors.

If you’re a senior living in Cincinnati, you can expect colder weather to last from mid-November to late March or early April, with the wettest, coldest weather coming in late January and early February. But keep your chin up — warm temperatures and spring flowers will be here again before you know it!