With winter days and nights getting colder and colder, staying fit has become a challenge. Gyms are restricted from allowing full capacity, and the capacity they do allow gets filled very quickly. Home workouts can also only get you so far, but luckily there are workouts that you can do outside, even during these freezing times. You may think it sounds crazy to work out in the cold, but Personal Trainer Micaela McClean shares that there are benefits to doing so.
“I tell my clients all the time that you need to do your runs outside, your off day walks outside, and all of that. So basically, when you do work out in cold weather, it forces your body to work harder during the training session. This also applies to your cardiovascular system. So as the heart works harder to pump blood around the body during cold-weather exercise, this helps you during the workout and keeps your heart rate tiptop.”
Along with benefits comes some risks that everyone should know of.
“There are different risks when it comes to working outside. For example, if you have asthma, it’s not always recommended that you train outside because you could risk not breathing. Also, it is harder on your lungs when you are working out during the cold weather. Also, if you have heart problems, your heart is working harder and faster. So, it is going to be more strain on you. The other main thing is injuries, physical injuries. So, if you’re walking or working out on the ice and you slip and fall, you could break something or sprain something. That’ll just set you back further.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiQrNuqIeVQ
The perspective of a runner can be very interested in the Winter too. So many runners are working out year round, no matter the temperature or conditions. I talked to Runner Daryl Selves to get the experience from someone who runs outside year-round.
“So, there are multiple factors. So firstly, the temperature, you got to wear a lot more clothes. Like any outdoor thing in the Winter, you want to layer. You also have the environmental effects of what you are running on. It could be too messy, icy, or snowy. Finally, you may have to wear different footwear, either trail shoes, cleats on your shoes, or waterproof shoes or a combination.”
Selves adds insight into a specific benefit that comes to play in the winter months.
“Certainly, a lot of people with the mid-winter blues end up using running to raise their mood. I find November and December more depressing because it’s so dark. But now that we get sunshine like this, and the days are getting longer, you can run. I can run after work, and I don’t even need to bring a light.”
Running outside is a commonly known workout, but what about Cold Yoga? Yoga Instructor Agnes Kovacs shares the current trend.
“So, I have seen people do yoga in the snow. Just being outside is beneficial for everyone. Some people can’t go into the studio and meet up with a group of people. But they can all go outside, and when you’re doing yoga in a different environment or a different landscape, you’re on an uneven surface. So, you’re targeting different muscles required to work, to hold you in a pose or an exercise. So, if you’re outside on an uneven surface, you’re activating more of your core muscles, more of your lower body muscles to keep you stable.”
Overall, winter workouts can have more benefits than you might think. Kovacs concludes with why that is.
“A quote that I read this morning is that outside is good for our inside. So, anything that you do outside, whether it’s just going for a walk, standing out in the sun for five to 10 minutes, is going to boost your mood.”
So, whether you need to work out your muscles or your mood, getting outside is something you should add to your daily routine.
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