When those crisp mornings and dark evenings begin to roll around, you wouldn’t be blamed for retreating indoors and riding out the winter from the comfort of your couch. But despite some occasionally unfortunate weather, this can be an excellent time of year to get yourself into an excellent exercise routine that makes the most of the great outdoors – with no gym fees needed.
Aside from the busy festive period, those shorter days and cooler temperatures tend to see our social calendars look a little lighter around this time of year. What’s more, millions of us will be seeing those New Year’s resolutions kick in come 1st January.
If you’re looking to keep up or start a new fitness regime this winter, here’s our best advice on how to stay safe and keep your goals on track when exercising outdoors.
The first rule of exercising outdoors in winter is ensuring you’re dressed appropriately. It’s important to keep in mind that even if you’re working up a sweat and begin to feel warm despite plunging temperatures, your extremities are still vulnerable to the cold. When we put our bodies through the test, blood flow tends to concentrate in the core, only making the impacts of frosty air temperatures on our head, fingers and toes worse.
For this reason, it’s strongly advised you find a suitable pair of gloves, socks and a headband or hat to help keep you comfortable. Your usual cotton winter gear might not quite fit the bill – it’s not a particularly breathable fabric nor is it waterproof. Thankfully, most sports stores should stock plenty of suitable options, starting from reasonable prices.
When it comes to your core, you’ll want to ensure your body is well covered with multiple layers:
• Synthetic fabrics like those you would wear inside the gym are an excellent base layer, helping to absorb moisture from the surface of your skin.
• Fleece and wool clothing are the ideal insulating layer, helping to trap enough heat inside to keep you comfortable.
• Breathable, waterproof materials are a recommended outer layer, helping to protect you from the elements.
That being said, it’s important not to overdress for the weather. If you find you’re sweating excessively, your clothing will quickly become wet and eventually cold, particularly once you stop your activity.
Despite being an annual occurrence, quite how dark our winters get still seems to take us all by surprise. If you work out in the early morning or evening, there’s no question that you’ll be doing so under the cover of night when winter rolls around.
For that reason, it’s essential to your safety that you make yourself as visible as possible, particularly if you’re going to be running or cycling across roads. Sportswear made of reflective materials or featuring reflective strips is widely available. Alternatively, strips can be bought separately and added to gym gear you already own.
It’s never nice having to interrupt a well-established exercise routine. But the simple fact of the matter is that our winters will bring with them occasions when it just won’t be safe for you to work out outdoors.
Snow and ice are obvious dangers, though it’s important to remember that the latter isn’t always immediately visible. If conditions are expected to be icy, it’s best to stay on the safe side and focus on workouts you could do indoors.
One often forgotten danger is wind chill. When conditions are particularly cold, even a light breeze can cause air temperatures to feel several degrees cooler than they actually are. Throw into the mix any fast movement you may be doing as part of your workout, and suddenly what looks to be a reasonable air temperature can become dangerously cold. Thankfully, most weather apps can help you manage this risk. Pay attention to the ‘feels like’ air temperature figure rather than the topline number, as these take wind chill effects into account.
Being able to keep an eye on our progress is an essential motivator when it comes to exercise. If you’re working out outdoors, you won’t have the luxury of all the digital equipment and high tech gear that can be found inside most gyms today.
But all is not lost. There are still so many ways you can measure your improvement in fitness over time.
Think about what your goals are. If you’re looking to lose weight and improve general fitness, there are all manner of smartphone apps where you could input data to see how you’re getting on. Smartphones and smartwatches can be used to log things like your heart rate, blood pressure and calories burned over time. If you’re focusing on a particular form of exercise, such as running or cycling, there’s no end of dedicated smartphone apps that will give you a clear understanding of your performance in these areas.
Not only is that feeling of the great outdoors unbeatable, but you could save a small fortune in gym fees and exercise equipment costs simply by making use of what’s around you. If you’re looking for somewhere to get started, here are a few ideas:
• Put stairs to good use. Sprinting up and down a flight of steps is an excellent way to get your pulse racing and work plenty of muscle groups. Just remember to check for any ice first.
• Work with street furniture. Park benches and lampposts are useful for stretching against or incorporating into a fitness routine. However, they may be cold to touch, so gloves are strongly advised.
• Find safe cycle routes. Concerns about cycling on roads or dimly lit parks at the darkest time of year are understandable. Instead, see if there are any safer and properly segregated cycling lanes in your area that you could map and piece together to build a regular route.
• See if there’s an outdoor gym nearby. Many local authorities have taken to installing ‘outdoor gyms’ in public spaces such as parks. These offer simple forms of gym type machines, with apparatus that provide weight resistance or help you perform exercises such as pull ups.
No matter what your fitness goals may be, with a little preparation, there’s no need for the season to put a stop to your efforts this winter.
