Fitness/Exercise

Guest Blogger: This post was written by Brittany Lyons, who aspires to be a psychology professor, but decided to take some time off from grad school to help people learn to navigate the academic lifestyle. She currently lives in Spokane, Washington, where she spends her time reading science fiction and walking her dog. Currently, she’s a blogger for OnlinePhd.org.

People exercise for many reasons including weight maintenance, weight loss and cardiologic health. However, for those who live in cold-weather areas, winter can put a real damper on an exercise regimen. Some might consider pausing their exercise program, at least until spring, but exercising is a habit that once stopped can be difficult to restart. So what can a person do to keep
exercising without freezing?

Try getting warm before going outside to exercise. Exercise clothes that have been put in the dryer for a few minutes can make a person much warmer and feel less stress once they step outside into the cold. Furthermore, fabrics such as synthetic wool and polyester can help better retain heat and wick away sweat during a workout. Another thing a person can do is to engage in a more dynamic warm-up. Rather than stretching as a warm up, more jumping jacks and other active ways to stretch and warm muscles will make the workout less stressful in the cold.

Those who loathe exercising outside in the cold can try indoor workout options to start. Consider migrating outdoors after the body has warmed up to complete a strenuous workout. Regardless, the important thing to do in that situation is to keep working hard, or else it won’t take long to get cold. Another way to split a winter workout is to save the last five or 10 minutes for outside training for burnout exercises such as sprinting.

On the other hand, some people look forward to winter exercises and don’t let cold temperatures or snow stop them. Cross country skiing, snowshoe hikes and ice skating are exercises that provide great cardiovascular workouts that also take advantage of the winter weather. Taking advantage of these exercises during the winter months also helps break any monotony that might have set in from walking, jogging, or running outside during warmer months.

Even if colder temperatures aren’t a bother, it doesn’t take a PhD to know it is important to layer clothing so one’s body temperature can adjust to the climate. Layering keeps the exerciser warm, and allows outside layers to be removed, or just for the zipper to be lowered if needed. Some fabrics will also move sweat away from the skin so that their sweat won’t make them even colder while braving the elements.

There are also many good options to keep exercisers active indoors. For those who live in an area that has a fitness club and are willing to spend the money, this can be a great option. Health clubs have treadmills, weights, and often classes like spinning and yoga to keep boredom from becoming a problem. For those who don’t want to spend that much money, buying an exercise DVD or more than one can keep a person active inside the walls of their own residencies. A treadmill is a big investment, but can be worth the expense and a walker or runner can use it during raining weather as well as when it gets cold.

There are many ways for a person to work out during the winter. When doing so, be sure to plan accordingly for the right climate and understand the different options. By doing so, it is possible to maintain a workout regimen throughout the year and stay healthy and fit.