You've cuddled under blankets and had more warm cocoa than you care to admit. Cabin fever is starting to set in and the kids are already bouncing off the walls with energy. Wintertime has taken hold of you, and to make it worse, your New Year’s resolutions are starting to wane. Who wants to go to a gym? Or be confined to the indoors' stifling cramped quarters? When was the last time you saw the sunlight or walked through the park?

Well, there is good news

Now you can get out and take a hike in the woods, well, a skate in the woods. Forest skating is the latest way to get outdoors on an icy winter's day.

And this new trend puts ICE rinks and frozen ponds to shame. Who needs them when you can go through the forest of winding trails? According to Country Living Magazine, the latest trend in wintertime recreation is to get out into the parks and enjoy the day forest skating.

Who wouldn't want a nice skate through a forest in wintertime

This latest trend just made a walk 10 times better, not to mention faster. Forest skating lets you glide through a picturesque woodland on trails designed with a layer of ice to let you skate your way through.

Most of these ice trails right now are in Canada

But parks offering forest skating trails have started to pop up all over the United States. Places like Vermont, Wisconsin, and Chicago have embraced this newest wintertime activity, and it seems the people are loving it.

And I imagine their doctors are liking it as well, since you will be getting a little vitamin D and getting the blood pumping.

Forest skating is not just good for entertainment

Forest skating is also good for you. A little sun in the wintertime, busting out of the house, and staving off cabin fever, it seems there is no downside.

But if you are worried this won't replace your gym membership, think again.

Forest skating or skating, in general, gives you better balance, stronger leg muscles, and lower body strength. According to WebMD’s article "10 Ways to Burn Calories Outdoors This Winter" you could burn 500 to 700 calories an hour skating. How is that for a workout?

In fact, ice skating is known to give the body a toned look and a stronger core. So, you can skip the gym and go see nature instead. Ice skating by itself is a good wintertime activity, that won't let you down.

What a great way to spend your time

These trails, while limited to the winter season, let you get out and get your body ready for the spring thaw. So, strap your skates on and visit a local forest skating trail.
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