The weather around here is starting to get a wee bit chilly, and for most people that means hibernating for the next eight months until we see warm days again. DON’T DO IT! You can still play outside if it’s cold, and your body will be all the better for it, cross our hearts. If you’re not sure how to go about it without losing an appendage to frostbite, pay attention! Here are some tips for cold weather workouts:
LAYER: yes, it will be cold when you first get going, but you most certainly will warm up. Wearing layers means you can put off the chill before you start to get going, and can peel layers off as you start to warm up. You can also keep your gross, sweaty layers in close, but more importantly away from breezes that’ll give you the chills.
WEAR MITTENS: you might think wrapping each individual finger would help keep them warmer, but mittens actually keep your hands warmer than gloves do. More often than not you’ve got to take your gloves off to unzip/button/snap/tie most things anyway, so all they’re doing is robbing your digits of the warmth. Stick to mittens, kittens.
WARM UP INSIDE: do you hate leaving your nice, warm bed only to step into your cold, cold bathroom on chilly mornings? I bet you do, and you might be comparing that to warming up inside: “Why would I get all toasty just to dash out into the frigid wilderness?! You’re crazy.” Not so friend! Getting your warm on inside will be easier on your muscles, so when you do step out you’ll be ready to get right to working out. You might not even notice the cold.
DRINK IT UP: hydration is important ALL the time. Just because you’re not sweating as profusely as you might on a humid, sticky August afternoon, doesn’t mean you aren’t still losing fluids. You’re still sweating, breathing, and producing urine (if you aren’t you should probably stop reading this and get to a doctor, right now), so be sure to hydrate before, during and after your workouts.
WEAR SOMETHING FLASHY: colder temperatures, darker times ahead, so be sure to break out your brights! Bright colours, reflectors and lights can be the difference between being seen or being squished.
Play safe out there! Don’t let the cold weather put a freeze on your playtime!
