The winter season has a way of making exercise go into hibernation. If you can keep your muscles off the ursine calendar, working out during the winter can still be a challenge. Exercise in cold weather can be more uncomfortable and riskier than milder climates, but several precautions can be taken to make exercise in cold weather safer and easier.
Before cold weather exercise, dress warmly and in layers. Even if it’s cold out, your body still generates heat during a workout. Wearing layers allows you to stay warm, but also prevents overheating by removing a layer when you get too warm. Wear gloves and make certain that your feet are well protected, especially if you are working out on snowy grounds. Also, be sure to wear something on your head and neck. The body loses most of its heat through the head and neck, so insulating these areas can help to keep you warmer for longer.
When exercising in cold weather, get a generous warm-up before your workout. In winter weather, the muscles tighten up and take longer to get loose than they do in warmer temperatures. Before exercise in cold weather, take a walk, stretch, and start slowly before really getting into a workout.
Don’t spend too much time outside. After you have worked up a good sweat, your body becomes more susceptible to the cold, particularly in windy conditions. After cold weather exercise, get back into a warm environment as soon as possible. Being wet and idle in freezing conditions accelerates your rate of cooling and increases the risk of hypothermia. Also, feeling numbness or pain in your extremities is a sign that it is time to call it quits and get back indoors.
When you exercise in cold weather, avoid the ice. Unless you are skating, stay away from ice like it’s the plague. Getting injured by slipping and falling on ice is a common malady not just for the active, but among people just trying to go about their daily business during the winter. If you plan on exercising in frosty conditions, pay careful attention to the grounds around you and keep off the ice.
Exercise without leaving your home. The best way to safely exercise in cold weather is to avoid the cold weather altogether. A wide variety of workouts can be performed in most homes and buildings. Yoga, aerobics, walking stairs, squats, leg lifts, toe lifts, pushups, sit-ups, and a variety of other exercises can be done right at home without needing to go out into the cold.
Icy weather doesn’t have to be a deterrent to exercise. In the cases of ice skating and ice hockey, it’s even a prerequisite. Following the simple rules of dressing warmly and in layers, getting a good warm-up before exercising, and listening to your body can make exercise in cold weather safer and less strenuous.
Written by William Menna
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