The 'New You' Guide to a Resolution-Friendly Snow Day

When a "bomb cyclone" hits, you have no choice but to curl up with some takeout, bourbon and your sister-in-law's HBO GO account. Right? Wrong! Just four days into New Year's Resolution season, we're offering you a few tips for a healthier alternative to the snow day. 

1. Be Still for a Bit

Brooke is doing it. Manoush is doing it. Strangers on the subway are doing it. Maybe today's the day that you give mindfulness and meditation a shot, or just embrace boredom. I like Marina Abramović’s method for getting her audience to listen to her Armory show in a deeper way:

"Put your watch, telephone and computer in a box, and lock it. Grab headphones to cancel sound, and stay there very silently for 30 minutes."

Can you sit still and silently for 30 minutes? Consider it a challenge!

The audience sitting in total silence. Yes, total.

(James Ewing)

2. Stretch it Out

You can't run outside, it's too windy for cross-country skiing, and the gym may be mobbed. Today could be the day you start the 100 Pushup Challenge. Or you could parlay your newfound mindfulness into some gradual, easy stretching. Here are some New York City-inspired yoga poses even an amateur yogi can manage.

3. Raid the Pantry

So you don't want to order takeout, and there's a snow storm standing between you and the produce stand. But about ten steps away from your couch, there's a cupboard. Any idea what's in it? Check. And then revisit Last Chance Food's great tips for cooking with pantry staples.

According to chef Amy Chaplin, cinnamon is a go-to spice that not only works in both sweet and savory dishes, but also helps digest carbohydrates.

(Kjokkenutstyr Net/Flickr)

4. The Roasted Vegetable of Video Streaming Services

There are eleven seasons of Frasier on Netflix right now, and far be it from us to knock a show about a radio host, but there are other things to watch online. Like the 30,000 movies on Kanopy, a video streaming site that includes an incredible collection of documentaries, foreign films and Criterion titles. Best part: It's available free for those with Brooklyn, Queens or New York Public Library cards.

A WNYC favorite on Kanopy you can watch with the whole family: Mr. Hulot's Holiday, Jacques Tati's 1953 film about a vacation at the beach. 

Do you have a hot tip for surviving the cold day in a healthy way? Let us know on Twitter using #ResolutionSnowDay.