How to Embrace the Winter Weather Workout
As the unrelenting weather of the Northeast pushes through February, it is easy to throw out the distant memory of the resolutions you made a month ago and find comfort in the fact that the climate you live in demands that you stay inside.
Not so fast.
The truth is, there is very little danger in working out in cold temperatures, and very large benefits to staying active. The key to winter workouts is listening to your body. Your heart and lungs will tell you what they need, and there are many ways to keep them happy when the weather isn’t exactly balmy.
For starters, do your warm-up inside. By starting indoors, you don’t have to fight the wind chill to get your blood temperature up, and once you break a little bit of a sweat, you are ready to go outside. Don’t be afraid to take your time in your warm up, even professionals take this one slow. On cold days at Gillette Stadium, I have the New England Revs players spend about 30-35 minutes warming up rather than our usual 10.
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From there, keep your body warm with layers, as well as a hat and gloves. Compression pants and shirts are a great way to both increase body heat during the warm-up and sustain it through the recovery period. Once you finish your workout and get to your cool down, head back inside. Letting your body temperature lower in a controlled climate allows you to cool down slower, especially after you have broken a sweat.
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Massive snowfall is an opportunity to get outside and try new workouts that aren’t available the rest of the year. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and climbing the mountains created by snowplows are all activities that allow you to get active outdoors with friends or family, without having to travel outside of town. Shoveling your sidewalk works your upper body, and certainly won’t hurt your relationship with the neighbors.
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If you’re looking for a more intense winter workout… Consider hooking a suspension system up to a tree branch to get more upper body conditioning, as most winter activities involve more legwork, such as cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
No matter what winter activities you choose, the more you can get outside the better. Don’t let frigid temperatures scare you off from a workout. We need to bypass the mentality that the conditions surrounding us are an excuse to stay dormant. Don’t allow your fitness be negatively impacted by cold weather.
See the next snow-pocalypse as a new set of workouts waiting for you. Get outside, get active, and have fun!
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