Winter Exercise - Harmful or Helpful?

Exercising in the Cold - Harmful or Helpful?

     Winter is almost upon us! And it is definitely beginning to feel that way! The weather has been a little cooler lately, which makes me feel like curling up next to the fire with a hot chocolate and watching a movie - all day - every day! I'm definitely the type of person who comes alive in the Summer, but we can't only be alive half the year! So, exercising during winter, is it safe?

     Well, the truth is that many people all over the world train in cold conditions. If you are properly prepared, exercising in the cold can be beneficial ... but if you're not prepared, it can be very dangerous, sending you into hypothermia, severe dehydration, or worse. 

     When you are active in cold conditions, you burn energy (calories) faster, so you need to make sure that you are properly fueled before and after your workout. Eating more carbs will give you a little burst of energy and keep your body fueled to go through the rest of your day. When you burn that many calories, you may feel sluggish the rest of the day, so make sure you eat enough calories to keep your body safe so that it can recover properly. 

     When you are cold, you also do not feel the need to drink as much water, but trust me, you do! You are still perspiring, but because of the evaporation, you may not realize how much you are sweating. Your body is actually working harder in the cold to keep your core temperature up, which means that you are sweating as much or more than normal, so don't let your water intake slip. 

     Speaking of sweating in the cold - you need to make sure that you are properly dressed. When you sweat, your warm clothing can turn into cold clothing, and when you are done working out, it can turn into FREEZING clothing! So layer up, fuel up, and drink up! Now you are safe(r) as long as the temperatures are not TOO drastic. If you are ever feeling too lethargic or shivering out of control, you may be in the beginning stages of hypothermia, so get inside and warm up! Never exercise in the cold alone (who wants to do that anyway!)