Transitioning into Winter Workouts

Do you consider yourself more of an outdoor person when it comes to working out, or find that you tend to let your workouts slide with the colder temperatures? Here are some tips to winterize your workouts so you keep up your fitness patterns during the cold months. 

1)      Time to try Cross Training- If your normal habits of running and cycling fade out once it is cold out it may be time to try something new!  Cross training has many benefits such as increasing performance in many activities.  Swimming is a great way to cross train because it offers a great cardiovascular workout as well as resistance training. If you don’t want to get wet, another idea may be strength training or resistance training.  Many exercises get their proper cardiovascular workout but don’t do any strength training.  If you are unsure about lifting weights you may want to try working with an easy resistance band in the beginning and then progress to something heavier. 

2)      Get Flexible- Many exercisers also forget to stretch prior to or after a workout.  An easy and fun workout to try may be a flexibly routine.  This would involve a light warm-up followed by a stretching series of the main muscle groups.  Stretching and becoming more flexible will aid you in the upcoming months when your outdoor workouts start back up.   For more advanced stretching you may want to try out a Yoga or Pilates class. 

3)      Stay frequent- If your normal workout routine consists of 30 minutes of exercise 3 days per week, try to keep it consistent in the winter months as well.  If you skip out on workouts you may lose certain capabilities that you already have and will spend the beginning of the spring and summer months working back up to where you once were instead of progressing.

4)      Keep it Real- Try to make your indoor workout as “real” as your outdoor workout.  If you are a hiker, kick up the intensity on the treadmill by playing with different speeds and inclines throughout the workout.  This can help mimic some of the rocky or uneven terrain you experience outdoors.  The same goes for mountain bikers, stationary or recumbent bikes often have settings to make it feel like an outdoor workout by changing the resistance in which you peddle. 

5)      Expect some Soreness- In the beginning stages of any new exercise routine you may experience some soreness.  This may show up 1-2 days after you work out.  If it goes away quickly or within a day or two it is probably nothing to worry about.  However, if it lasts longer and feels more like sharp pains you may have injured yourself.  When beginning any new exercise program it is always good to ask questions to a trained professional, this can help prevent future injuries.