Her Fitness: There’s a growing amount of evidence that shows exercising in cold temperatures can burn more calories, making your workouts more effective.
Winter weather can help you take your workouts to the next level
The colder it gets, the easier it is to hibernate under mounds of blankets, binge-watch thousands of hours of streaming movies, and declare yourself a sovereign citizen of your couch until winter chills out for a second. But it’s also not a bad time to start working out outdoors — extreme weather events aside — because you could score a few cheater calories.
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Whether your New Year’s resolution is to lose 10 pounds or crush an Ironman, many fitness experts say the cold months aren’t an excuse to stay inside — it’s time to get moving.
The fitness effects of working out in the cold (Her Fitness)
As many fitness experts will tell you, almost all forms of movement are fitness. Unless, of course, it is shoveling leftover holiday cookies into your face or curling tallboys. They know you can do better. And, if you move outside for long enough and have a fitness breakfast. You might get to your fitness goals quicker.
There’s credible evidence to suggest that cold weather sparks some leftover evolutionary trait as in from before we invented houses — that helps the body burn through calories in a more efficient way. In loose terms, it engages the good type of fat that humans heavily consumed in our hunter-gatherer days when we endured the cold for longer periods of time.
And apparently it can be thrown off easily. It all stems around “brown fat,” the fitness kind that’s useful for insulating our most vulnerable bits.
In only mildly cold weather, it can burn a few hundred calories on its own. Provided the person is cold enough for an extended period of time. Thanks to insulated clothing and central heating, however, most people’s brown fat doesn’t get activate enough to make a difference?
A trainer explains it as a temporary trait that can be undone with half a muffin.
“When you activate brown fat, it may stay active for a few hours,” “Not permanently.”
So that means you shouldn’t count on brown fat to do the work for you. But a few exercise aficionados recommend you invest in some durable running shoes. Many trainers recommend running as a cold-weather exercise because your heart rate tends to be lower. As opposed to exercising in the warmest months.
“Running with a lower heart rate will also make you feel less exhausted,”. “So distance running can actually feel easier in the cold weather.” In warmer and more humid months, your body is trying to constantly cool itself down. Forcing your heart to work harder. In the cold, however, the opposite is true. “Overall, I think cold weather running does wonder for performance and can actually be safer than running in the heat,”
Seasoned winter experts agree.
The best workouts in cold weather (Her Fitness)
Because you can burn more calories and increase your endurance in the cold weather, any kind of exercise in the winter is good.
That includes going for a walk, a jog — especially with a dog — and winter sports like cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, he said. “If you live in areas with snow, put away the snowblower and grab a shovel,” “Also, if you have kiddos, try dragging them on a sled as you go for a walk.”
For most people, the most accessible form of outdoor cold-weather exercise is simply putting on some running shoes and other appropriate gear and stepping out the front door to go for a walk — and eventually a run — in your neighborhood. The big issue with any kind of exercise is safe. You don’t want to put in hours of hard work making progress only to get set back by an avoidable injury, or even a bad experience that would make you never want to return again.
What to wear when working out in the cold
A trainer said that he’s sure there’s probably a temperature at which it’s too cold to work out, but he hasn’t found it yet. He says going out to exercise in the winter depends on a mix of experience, how well you’re acclimated to the cold, and, most importantly, the quality of the clothing and layers you use to protect yourself.
“First of all, it’s important to know that when you head out into the cold to work out or go for a run, you should feel cold. “You don’t want to bundle up and feel nice and toasty warm before you start. That is the recipe for being way too overheated within five minutes of starting.” The key is layers.
The base layer should cover your skin, and, if needed, the next layer should protect you from the elements. “This could include a second pair of tights that have insulation for the bottoms, and for the top something as simple as a windproof shell,”
If you need more insulation, a lightweight, insulated parka or vest will do.
How cold is too cold?
Temperature and comfort vary from person to person, but there are some universal truths. Experts warn that people with breathing or cardiac issues may want to consult a doctor before kick-starting any hardcore outdoor exercise in cold, warm, or temperate months.
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Even for those seasoned athletes, if the National Weather Service has issued a cold weather warning, it’s too cold to exercise outside. It’s important to be mindful of the temperature.
“Also take into account the wind and the ‘feels like’ temperature, which can be much lower than the actual temperature”. “Use good overall judgment, and, when in doubt, take your workout inside for that day.” That’s because it’s likely you’ll be back outside soon.
The best reason to exercise in winter (Her Fitness)
Like any form of outdoor exercise, Mother Nature always sets the rules. That means the colder it gets, the more likely things can frost or freeze over and become treacherous.
For some, it’s only one more challenge. A Woman has chronic depression, so it’s especially difficult for her to get out of bed in winter. She admits she has bad days, even with medication and therapy, but she says running transformed her relationship with winter.
“Showing up for a cold run not only boosts my self-esteem, but that post-run high helps my mood all day,” “It’s just a better day when I go for a run.”
Runners have a saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”
Now 57, she’s the first to admit she’ll head for an indoor track if it’s too icy, but her running friends wear traction cleats.
Weather permitting, She will put on two pairs of long johns under her tights, a “sparkle skirt” to shield her from the wind, a few long-sleeved breathable shirts under a warm hooded jacket, a balaclava over her mouth and head, a pair of sports socks with some bamboo knee-highs, and a hand warmer in each mitten and she’s good to go.
I love it when the sweat freezes into icicles on my eyebrows.
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