Cold Weather Exercise

There are two main concerns about cold weather exercise. The first is whether to do it at all. The second is what to wear when you do. Sometimes the weather is just too rotten for outside exercise. This is when you want to have an indoor option.

A gym membership can solve the problem, if you can get to the gym. You may want to have some equipment at home. Treadmills, exercise bikes and stair climbers, among other pieces of cardio equipment, fit the bill, but sometimes even a couple flights of stairs or a jump rope can do it for you. A weight bench and some dumbbells are sufficient for strength training. It's a good idea to have some cross-country skis if you live in snow territory, for transportation as well as exercise. Snowshoes may be even a better idea, if you don't consider breaking trail in wet snow with your cross-country skis to be fun.

So you decide you want to exercise outdoors in the cold. The most important thing to consider, besides the weather report, is what clothing you will need for the whole time you are out. This means dressing in layers. There's no good evidence for acclimatization to the cold, so you have to dress for it whether you're a resident or a visitor. If you're comfortable at the start of a run, you will be too warm when you get into it. Wear an outer layer you can leave somewhere and pick up later or put into a backpack. If you're cross-country skiing, you will warm up, but when you stop to rest or eat, you will cool off quickly. Have a windbreaker you can take on and off. If you sweat too much in cold weather, you will end up getting chilled, as the sweat can't evaporate properly. The effort part of downhill skiing usually doesn't last long enough to generate much heat, but the weather can change, so you need some layers for a downhill day too. Larger people retain heat better, and smaller people and children are more susceptible to cold injury. If the weather changes too drastically, you may need to pack it in for the day. Frostbite can sneak up on you and so can hypothermia.

Remember, too, that you have to drink water or sports drinks when working out in cold weather. Heat loss isn't as dramatic as it is in hot weather, but you still lose fluid while exercising and dehydration can result. Don't go too long without eating. You need to have enough energy to keep yourself warm. Plan ahead and you can keep fit no matter the weather.