Cold-Weather Workouts
Winter weather warrants special precautions for people who exercise outdoors - as cold exposure
can make outdoor activity uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for unprepared athletes.
However, with proper preparations and some alternatives to outdoor workouts, there is no reason to
hibernate during the winter months.
Dr. Andrew Rosen, Orthopaedic Surgeon with the Insall Scott Kelly Institute of New York's Beth Israel
Medical Center, provides these alternatives and tips to safely working out through the cold winter
months. Dr. Rosen's tips include:
Dress Appropriately - Dress in layers to trap air and help regulate your core body temperature.
Wear synthetic fabrics, as these are much better at moving moisture away from the body than cotton
fabrics. In addition, your head should be covered while exercising in the cold, because heat loss
from the head may be as much as 30 percent of the total heat being lost by your body.
Be Alert to Signs of Hypothermia - Uncontrollable shivering, loss of coordination, slurred speech are
all signs of the development of hypothermia. Treatment focuses on re-warming the core of the body.
Take the person to a dry, warm place or warm the victim with blankets and dry clothing to bring the
body temperature up.
Avoid frostbite - If blanching of the skin of peripheral body parts (fingers, toes, earlobes and nose)
occurs, get to a warm environment and gently warm the area by placing it in warm (not hot) water, or
next to the body (for example, under the arm).
Add New Workout Activity - Adding new exercises or routines to your current workout will help fend
off boredom, which can easily occur during the winter. Consider taking a new class or lesson such
as yoga or pilates. Also try a sport that will exercise new groups of muscles such as skiing,
snowboarding, snow shoveling or ice-skating.
Properly Warm-Up and Cool-Down - The colder it gets, the more important it is to warm-up and
cool-down properly before and after exercise in order to help maintain flexibility. Warm-up should
take five to ten minutes and include easy movements that gradually raise your heart rate. Cool-down
should include plenty of gentle stretches lasting 15 to 30 seconds each.
Move Indoors - You can easily continue your current aerobic program indoors with at least 20
minutes of sustained exercise. Use the treadmill to continue walking or running. If you are a biker,
switch to the stationary bike or mount your road bike on a wind trainer. Swimming and water
aerobics also provide excellent non-impact cardiovascular exercise.
Stay Motivated - Focus on what you'll gain if you keep exercising from fall straight through winter
and you will continue to reap the short and long-term benefits of your workout routine. Exercise, too,
can help stave-off Season Affective Disorder (the "winter blues") - it can improve your mood,
increase your energy level and help you sleep better.
HealthNewsDigest.com
Winter weather warrants special precautions for people who exercise outdoors - as cold exposure
can make outdoor activity uncomfortable and potentially dangerous for unprepared athletes.
However, with proper preparations and some alternatives to outdoor workouts, there is no reason to
hibernate during the winter months.
Dr. Andrew Rosen, Orthopaedic Surgeon with the Insall Scott Kelly Institute of New York's Beth Israel
Medical Center, provides these alternatives and tips to safely working out through the cold winter
months. Dr. Rosen's tips include:
Dress Appropriately - Dress in layers to trap air and help regulate your core body temperature.
Wear synthetic fabrics, as these are much better at moving moisture away from the body than cotton
fabrics. In addition, your head should be covered while exercising in the cold, because heat loss
from the head may be as much as 30 percent of the total heat being lost by your body.
Be Alert to Signs of Hypothermia - Uncontrollable shivering, loss of coordination, slurred speech are
all signs of the development of hypothermia. Treatment focuses on re-warming the core of the body.
Take the person to a dry, warm place or warm the victim with blankets and dry clothing to bring the
body temperature up.
Avoid frostbite - If blanching of the skin of peripheral body parts (fingers, toes, earlobes and nose)
occurs, get to a warm environment and gently warm the area by placing it in warm (not hot) water, or
next to the body (for example, under the arm).
Add New Workout Activity - Adding new exercises or routines to your current workout will help fend
off boredom, which can easily occur during the winter. Consider taking a new class or lesson such
as yoga or pilates. Also try a sport that will exercise new groups of muscles such as skiing,
snowboarding, snow shoveling or ice-skating.
Properly Warm-Up and Cool-Down - The colder it gets, the more important it is to warm-up and
cool-down properly before and after exercise in order to help maintain flexibility. Warm-up should
take five to ten minutes and include easy movements that gradually raise your heart rate. Cool-down
should include plenty of gentle stretches lasting 15 to 30 seconds each.
Move Indoors - You can easily continue your current aerobic program indoors with at least 20
minutes of sustained exercise. Use the treadmill to continue walking or running. If you are a biker,
switch to the stationary bike or mount your road bike on a wind trainer. Swimming and water
aerobics also provide excellent non-impact cardiovascular exercise.
Stay Motivated - Focus on what you'll gain if you keep exercising from fall straight through winter
and you will continue to reap the short and long-term benefits of your workout routine. Exercise, too,
can help stave-off Season Affective Disorder (the "winter blues") - it can improve your mood,
increase your energy level and help you sleep better.
HealthNewsDigest.com
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