Moving Through Winter
Chilly temperatures, shorter days … Staying active through the winter months can feel tough. Here are some tips.
Exercising in winter is good for your mind as well as your body. And if you have seasonal depression or find the shorter, greyer days affect your mood in any way, know that even just a little bit of exercise can help with that – indoors or out. Outdoor exercise will give you the extra mood-enhancing benefit of some sunlight (even if it’s filtered through clouds!). But if heading to the pool or a gym is more appealing – go with that.
STAYING SAFE IN THE WEATHER
Walking or running during winter can sometimes end up being more enjoyable than doing it in the blazing heat of summer, so make the most of that. Just take a few extra precautions:
Check the forecast before you go. We all know that Aotearoa's weather is notoriously unpredictable. You don’t want to go out in an icy wind, be caught in a downpour or without the right gear, or end up on a dangerous, icy surface.
Do think about drastically shortening or even skipping your outdoor exercise in extreme weather.
If you’re out in wintry weather, let someone know your exercise route and your expected return time, just in case something does go wrong.
Watch out for signs that it might be too cold to be out – if you’re shivering or your teeth are chattering, you’re too cold! Call it a day and go get warmed up.
LAYER UP
Exercise warms you up, but when sweat evaporates from your body, it cools you down again, and – when the air is cold – you can easily get chilled. The secret to dressing for outdoor winter exercise is in the layers. If you layer up, you can take off some clothes as you sweat, and put them back on as soon as your body temperature feels back to normal. (Don’t wait till you’re actually cold.) This is an ideal basic set of layers:
Layer 1 - Something made of synthetic material, such as polypropylene, that draws sweat away from your body (not cotton, which soaks up your sweat and stays damp).
Layer 2 - Something insulating, such as fleece or wool.
Layer 3 - Something waterproof but breathable.
Experiment though. Everyone’s body temperature systems are different, so go on shorter walks or runs to start with, and see what works for you. The intensity of your exercise and whether you stop and start a lot or not will also affect how many layers you need. You may well need more than three.
HEAD, HANDS, AND FEET
Remember your extremities:
A hat is important in the cold or, at the very least, a headband to stop your ears getting too cold.
Breathing in cold air can be painful, so consider a scarf around your mouth and nose or a mask.
Gloves or mittens for your hands are essential in winter – or both. Hands respond well to layers too. A thin pair of gloves made from synthetic fabric with heavier insulating gloves or mittens over the top can be perfect.
Choose footwear with extra good grip in the damp winter months.
Wear thick thermal socks if cold feet are likely to be an issue – and make sure your shoes are big enough to accommodate thick socks
OTHER IMPORTANT SAFETY POINTS
If you plan to walk or run before the sunrise or after sunset – especially anywhere near a road – it’s vital to wear reflective clothing. If you don’t have any, a Google or TradeMe search will give you some options. You could also add reflective tape to clothes you already have. Again, when it comes to doing that, Google is your friend.
If you’re walking or running in the dark or the damp, work out your route beforehand, and choose ground that isn’t too uneven and doesn't have unexpected steps or drops. Also make sure you don’t take a route where the ground gets slippery.
If you’re exercising outside in the middle of the day, remember that, especially if you’re fair skinned, you can still get sunburned before or after summer. Consider wearing a good sunblock on exposed parts of your skin.
Hydrate! Carry a water bottle when you exercise just as you would in summer, and be mindful of staying hydrated even when you’re not in the throes of exercise. Sometimes winter makes it harder to notice when we’re getting dehydrated.
Warm up before you go out. The best warm up is movement that’s similar to the kind of movement you’ll be doing while you’re out, but lower intensity
MOTIVATION TIPS
If the best time for you to exercise is in the morning or evening, but you find the cold and dark of winter are off-putting, one psychological trick is to first concentrate on just getting dressed in your exercise gear. Once you’re actually wearing it, it’ll feel that much easier to get outside and go. Another tip is to find a winter exercise buddy or even form a small winter exercise group, so you can help motivate each other.
INDOOR EXERCISE
If the warmth of indoors sounds more enticing than the outdoors, or if the weather is too bad to go out, think about a local pool or gym. You could also find a home exercise routine. There are plenty of live online classes or YouTube videos to explore. The motivation tips above are useful for indoor exercise too. Find buddies and/or just focus on showing up for a start, and the rest will follow.
Take care with health conditions
If you have asthma, a heart condition, or Raynaud's disease, be sure to stay safe. Check with your healthcare professional about what extra precautions you should take when exercising in Winter.