Winter Activities Keep Away Winter Blues

It can be easy to stay inside with a cozy cup of hot chocolate, but there's other ways to warm up and be healthy while doing it. Thankfully, Brecksville has many options in the city and nearby for maintaining fitness during the winter months.

Boston Mills and Brandywine Resorts

Skiing or snowboarding can really get the heart pumping on a cold day. Working the legs and core is the only way to carve down the hills that are up to 240 feet high.

“It’s a lifelong sport,” said Brent Veverka, director of events and media at Boston Mills and Brandywine Resorts. “It’s perfect for all ages, keeps you active and out socializing with friends and family and promotes good cardiovascular health.”

If you have a day to spare for winter recreation, you might consider heading 10 minutes to Peninsula or Sagamore Hills. Boston Mills and Brandywine offer skiers and boarders two resorts for hill-riding. Skiers and snowboarders into freestyle can access terrain parks at both locations. Tricksters can learn and show off their skills on the jumps and rails.

With 85 acres total, snow machines and 17 trails in all, Boston Mills and Brandywine are set for winter enthusiasts. Also, lessons are available for both skiing and snowboarding.

"Both are very easy to learn,” Veverka said. “Skiing is easier to learn, harder to master and snowboarding is harder to learn at first, but after a couple days you’ve got it for life.”

A Discovery All Area pass for $80 includes a lesson, hill and lift access and rental equipment. With equipment, a day pass is $41 for adults and free for people under 4 or over 70 years old.

If you aren’t interested in that, Polar Blast Snow Tubing opens up this winter, too. Twelve to 15 lanes of pure snow are 1,000 feet long and have conveyor belts to bring tubers back up the hill.

To top it off, a concession area is located inside the lodges at each location for when it gets too chilly outside. 

Brecksville Community Center

The  provides year-round fitness, but some activities going on this winter include swim lessons, a Winter Camp Program for kids, girls volleyball, men's basketball, Little Stars Gymnastics, Zumba, Pilates, Spinning, Pee Wee Basketball and much more.

Recreation Department Athletic Director Pete Kormos thinks it's a good idea to stay active all the time, and said the center is a great meeting place and serves its purpose well as an activity hub. 

"Why sit in front of the TV when you could be out doing something active with friends?" he said. 

More fun winter ideas to stay active:

• : Sled the fairways or go in your backyard.
• : Hike or cross country ski.