Don’t Let the Cold Stop You!

By: Aram Kumar, BA Exercise Science, CSCS

Winter is here and if you know anything about Kentucky in the winter then you know it’s about to get COLD. Kentucky winters are known to include well below freezing temperatures which can deter even the most dedicated individuals from going outside to exercise. But don’t let the cold weather stop you from doing your daily activity! This time of year brings many challenges to exercising consistently, but there are lots of benefits as well. For example, did you know that exercising in cold environments has been shown to increase the metabolism of fat tissue in the body (Kern et al, 2014)? Additionally, this time of year gives more opportunities to try different activities that you may not get to do throughout the year. Ice Skating, skiing, snowboarding and sledding are all great ways to get exercise in the winter and it can be fun for the whole family.

Remember that exercising in the cold comes with its own risks and should be done cautiously.

• Notably, exercising in cold weather can increase a person’s risk of dehydration. You may think this is uncommon, but people tend to forget to hydrate during the cold seasons because they don’t get as hot. You must be mindful about getting plenty of fluids during this time of year, especially when exercising.
• Additionally, cold weather can make it harder to warm-up before exercising. It is important to increase your body’s core temperature before any exercise, no matter the time of year. This will help your muscles loosen up and help to reduce your chances of injury. In the winter, it may be more difficult to do this, so you may need to extend your warm-up period by a few minutes, even if you are inside.
• Finally, remember that ice may be present in extreme cold. Avoid running or biking outside if the conditions may be icy. If so, it may be a good day to stay inside and do some yoga or run on a treadmill.

Don’t let the cold weather scare you away from continuing to chase your health and fitness goals. Embrace this change of seasons and the variety it brings to your year-long training regimen!

Sources:

Philip A. Kern, Brian S. Finlin, Beibei Zhu, Neda Rasouli, Robert E. McGehee, Philip M. Westgate, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden, The Effects of Temperature and Seasons on Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue in Humans: Evidence for Thermogenic Gene Induction, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 99, Issue 12, December 2014, Pages E2772–E2779, https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-2440