A Winter Reset — Moving Through the Cold Season Differently

Winter can throw people off. The cold hits, the days get short, and suddenly it feels a lot easier to hibernate than to move. Trust me — I get it. But during our Tapp Into It Fitness Fall 8 Week Challenge, we’ve been flipping that mindset completely. And honestly… it’s been one of my favorite things we’ve done.

We’re in Week 8 now, our final week, and so many challengers have told me that shifting how they think about winter has helped them WAY more than they expected. Instead of settling into the “winter slump,” they’ve been showing up, getting their steps, hitting workouts, getting outside, and actually enjoying the season a little. That’s huge.

And last weekend’s Urban Hike KC outing could not have lined up better with that message.

We walked The Plaza and Loose Park — and I’m telling you, I learned more in two hours than I have in 10 years of living here. Of course, we added our Tapp Into It Fitness flavor with movement at a few stops, because why not? It was cold, but we stayed warm by being together, talking, moving, and just being curious about our city.

We learned about Kansas City’s sister cities and how their flags and locations are displayed on the bridge near the Gondola Ride spot (how many times have I walked by that and wondered why we had those flags flying).

We talked about J.C. Nichols and the history of segregation tied into the development of The Plaza — heavy but important. 

We learned how KC used to have a massive, well-connected streetcar system, and how it basically fell apart once the automotive industry grew here.

And of course…Hydrox cookies were created by the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, founded by Jacob Loose — the same Jacob Loose behind Loose Park. And the Loose Park in which parts of The Battle of Westport took place. 

Lisa — the owner of Urban Hike KC — started her business eight years ago, and getting to collaborate with her felt really special. You can tell she fully loves this city and wants people to actually experience it, not just drive past it. I love partnering with passionate people like that. We even got to enjoy some snow flurries on the hike. 

Personally… I haven’t gotten to do this YET this season, but one of my favorite winter things ever is going out with my little family right after it snows. Before anyone is out. Before the plows. Before there are footprints everywhere. Everything is quiet and untouched, and it’s just… peaceful. I’m counting down to the next snowfall so we can do it again. Moments like that remind me why winter doesn’t have to be a season we dread.

One of my challengers also shared something that really stuck with me. She talked about how the book How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz totally changed her mindset. Her message said:

“This book offered so many perspectives on winter that America kind of misses. We basically invented the term ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder,’ which isn’t even common in countries that embrace winter and adapt to it. The book has so many practical tips, which made today’s snowy walk something to look forward to instead of dread.”

I LOVED that.

Because that’s exactly what we’ve been doing: embracing the season instead of fighting it.

I’ve had to do that for myself too. I signed up for HYROX Singles Open AND just registered for HYROX Pro Singles in April. So yeah… winter can’t be my slump season. I don’t get to hit pause just because it’s cold. If anything, my goals for spring make winter feel even more important. I need these months to build the base so I can show up strong when it counts. So if that's something that would help you too, DO IT!

Winter isn’t something to survive. It’s something to move THROUGH.

Movement in winter doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be extreme. It just has to be intentional.

Sometimes it's a snowy hike with your community.

Sometimes it's early morning steps in the cold.

Sometimes it's walking with your family on untouched snow.

Sometimes it's training for something exciting coming up in the spring. 

As we wrap up this challenge and head into a new year, I hope you keep choosing to move through winter differently. There is so much joy and energy in this season when you stop dreading it and start participating in it.

Rewrite the story we tell ourselves about it. 

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