Winter Workout Exercising outdoors in cooler weather presents its own set of difficulties. Hydration, temperature regulation, skin protection and health concerns abound. However, freezing weather does not have to mean it’s time to hole up indoors or become a couch potato. Personal trainers have sev-eral tips for keeping safe while exercising outdoors during winter. Think Layers and Avoid Cotton When exercising in cold weather, the tendency to overdress is common. Exercise creates a considerable amount of body heat. Too much clothing can actually lead to excessive warmth and sweating. Once the sweat dries, it can cause a case of the chills. Running coach and triathlete trainer Sami Winter, of Without Limits, advises exercisers to be cool at the beginning of the workout. “A general rule to follow is dress as if it is 20 degrees warmer out than it actually is,” she says. Dressing as if the weather is warmer allows the body time to warm up without overheating as exercise continues. Layering is another suggestion to accommo-date sweating and temperature fluctuations. What to Wear By MICHELLE CONRAD MAGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON POTTER From top: Michelle Daniel keeps warm during a beach workout in a knit hat and lightweight polypropylene jacket. LeMaine Williams pulls on thin gloves to protect his fingers from frostbite. Dressing in layers allows for flexibility, as items of clothing can be removed or added one by one as needed. “Cotton should be avoided because it stays wet next to your skin,” Winter says. A friendlier fabric to wear is poly-propylene, which allows moisture to be drawn away from the body. Cover Those Extremities When outside in colder temperatures, blood flow is centered around the body’s core and its organs, which can leave the extremities exposed to hypothermia and frostbite. Wearing a thin pair of gloves, which can be removed once the hands begin to sweat, can help eliminate this problem. Feet are also an area 18 WBM january 2014 of concern. LaMaine Williams, certified personal trainer, suggests planning ahead to protect the toes from cold. “Consider buying a workout shoe that has a little extra room in it so that you can wear thicker, warmer socks when working out in colder weather,” he says. While the head is not technically con-sidered an extremity, head protection is also very important. Winter and Williams both agree that protective headgear is a necessity. “You can lose significant body heat through your head, so hats are important,” Winter says. Because the head comprises about 10 percent of total body mass, leaving the head uncov-ered may result in an overall chill. Warm Ups Warming up the body’s muscles before participating in outdoor cold-weather exer-cise is crucial. Winter cautions exercisers to first warm up inside to prevent injuries, because the chance for injury increases in colder temperatures. Williams suggests, “Before exercising outdoors in the winter, do a thorough, extended indoor warm up, such as running on a treadmill for 20 minutes beforehand.” Hydration When it is not hot outside, it is easy to forget to hydrate. However, it is still important to replenish fluids and electrolytes, especially with longer workouts. Williams says everyone should make sure they drink plenty of fluids while exercising, even in the cold. “Exercise hydration needs are very individualized and this area should not be ignored,” he says. Exercising in cooler weather still creates increased sweat, more rapid breathing and an increase in urine production, all of which cause a loss of fluids in the body.
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