Winter Exercise

As the winter is sneaking up on us, it can sometimes make things a little tough if your exercise routine consists of walking or running outside. Black ice is what you really need to be on the lookout.

It can be very hard to see and when you hit that black ice spot, you will have absolutely no control. If you are running on the path at a park, when you get there ask people if they encountered any. Of course, if it’s that cold there will not be as many people there. So take care the first time around. My buddy took a hard fall when we were running one winter evening and he had to take time off from exercise to recover.

Dress warmly but do not overdress. Dressing in layers is best. That allows you to remove a layer as you begin to warm up. The rule of thumb for runners is generally to dress like the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer.

Breathe through your nose. Actually this is a practice you should follow all year round, but particularly during the winter. When it is real cold outside and you are breathing through your mouth, you are going to feel the effects.

If it gets too bad out there, exercise inside. A treadmill is great but if you don’t have one, jog in place. Pop in an aerobics tape and exercise. Jump rope. Shadow box. It’s time to get a little creative.

Exercising outside in the winter can be a little challenging, but follow some of these suggestions and you will get through it and be raring to go in the spring.