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Suggestions for Cold
Weather Exercise
By Wayne L. Westcott |
Although most seniors prefer to exercise indoors during the
winter months, some of us like to do at least some of our
fitness activities in the great outdoors. Of course, there
are always seasonal favorites such as downhill skiing,
cross-country skiing, ice-skating, and even snowshoeing, but
I am talking about standard outdoor activities such as
walking and running. I believe that seniors can walk or run
safely and successfully under most winter weather
conditions, but I suggest a few precautions to increase the
training effectiveness and to reduce the risk of injury.
Let me first address the misconception that breathing cold
air is bad for your lungs. Normal winter temperatures do not
adversely affect your lungs, because the inhaled air
approaches body temperature by the time it reaches the
air-exchange area of your lungs.
On the other hand you do need to take appropriate measures
to protect the outside of your body from cold air. I prefer
standard sweat pants and sweatshirts with hoods to keep the
head and neck areas warm. In my opinion, if it’s cold enough
to wear a face mask, it’s too cold to run, as these are best
avoided. My most cold-sensitive body parts are my hands and
fingers, so I take special care to keep them warm. Although
mittens work well, I am partial to white socks placed over
my hands – one sock per hand if it’s cold and two socks per
hand if it’s really cold. In addition to providing both
warmth and comfort, I simply put the socks in the wash when
I finish my run.
If you don’t like the confinement of hooded sweatshirts, you
can use a standard ski cap or even a headband if the
temperature is not extremely cold. A single pair of socks
typically keeps my feet warm, but if your toes freeze-up
easily, try a thin pair of socks underneath your regular
white running socks. Although I rarely wear a second
t-shirt, on really cold days you might wear two t-shirts
underneath your sweatshirt. If high winds are a factor you
may also consider a gortex-type windbreaker over your
t-shirt or sweatshirt.
Because your feet are the focal point of ambulatory
activity, you should be especially cautious about running
surfaces in cold weather. Once the snow falls, it is
difficult to run on softer, feet-friendly surfaces, such as
wooded paths, grassy fields and stone dust tracks. You are
pretty much limited to plowed roads and sidewalks.
As much as possible, avoid running on concrete surfaces
because their extreme hardness causes exceptionally high
impact forces on your feet. Asphalt surfaces are softer and
better, but be careful not to do too much running or walking
on steeply-slanted road shoulders as this can adversely
affect your feet and ankles. Do your best to find level
roadways and streets that are completely cleared of ice and
snow.
Be particularly careful to walk or run during daylight
hours, as icy-patches (black-ice areas) are very hard to see
at night unless the roads are exceptionally well-lighted. If
you must walk or run when it is dark, be sure to wear
reflective clothing and stay away from high-traffic roads.
To make an easier transition from indoors to outdoors, I
recommend a five to ten minute warm-up period inside, before
putting on your sweatshirt and stepping outside. A good
warm-up, such as trunk curls, trunk extensions, push-ups,
half-squats, jumping jacks and stepping in-place, not only
raises your body temperature but also prepares your muscles
for a good walking or running session.
Finally, be sure you invest in carefully-fitted,
highly-supportive and well-cushioned walking or running
shoes that have excellent traction for more slippery winter
road surfaces. A new pair of shoes should be in order if
your old standbys have more than 300-400 miles of wear.
With a few precautions and a little extra warm-up time, you
should do just fine if you choose to walk or run outside
throughout the remaining winter months. |
About The Author
Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., is fitness research
director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, and author of 20
books on strength training.
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