With the temperatures dropping down to low 50s and 60s during winter, instead of staying in bed watching one movie after the other, try some of these fun activities to stay fit and healthy: Head to your local gym, ice skate with some friends or go skiing.

Gym:

Going to the gym for at least 30 minutes or an hour a day, especially during winter when it is raining or cold outside, is a great way to keep in shape. Gyms offer a variety of exercise machines, such as treadmills, stairmasters and rowing machines.

Each machine has its own benefits, for example, running on the treadmill, the same as jogging, can help prevent diseases for women, like breast cancer.

The stairmaster helps burn calories–it forces you to lift your own body weight, which helps burn lots of calories.

A rowing machine can help tone muscles: rowing uses almost every major muscle group, resulting in a toned body.

Sophomore Lucas Wang regularly goes to the gym in order to stay healthy.

“I try to visit the gym at least a couple times a week during breaks because it is a really great, easy and practical way to stay fit and keep in shape,” he said. “Also, now that it is winter, it is easier to exercise indoors rather than outside.”

Ice Skating:

Ice skating with friends is a way to stay healthy while having some fun. Ice Skating helps tone muscles and increases your metabolic rate due to the increased muscle. In addition to gaining muscle, your endurance also increases.

Seniors Shannon Su and Sarah Bean went ice skating to Sharks Ice in San Jose during winter break.

“Skating is always fun, mostly because you spend most of the experience just trying not to fall down,” Sarah said. “I loved skating with my friends because it’s okay to look silly with them and I know they will try to catch me if I’m about to fall–or just fall with me!”

There are ice skating rinks throughout the Bay Area, such as Union Square in San Francisco. The skating rink in Union Square will remain open until Jan. 19.

Skiing:

Head out to Tahoe and you will find plenty of places to ski at. Skiing helps exercise your thighs, hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes because you are constantly in a crouching position. It also strengthens your knees, which will help prevent diseases such as osteoporosis.

Some places to ski are Alpine Meadows, Northstar, Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl, Heavenly, and many others.

Sophomore Alayna Richmond commented on her experience skiing at Alpine Meadows.

“I like skiing because it allows me to enjoy nature and be outside in the fresh air while still getting exercise in,” she said.

The Upper School plans on hosting a ski trip on Jan. 16. Signups were sent through an email by Eric Kallbrier, the Assistant to Directors of Activities and Business and Entrepreneurship Programs, and were due by Dec. 15.