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Winter exercise: cold facts revealed
Source: Agencies |
November 10, 2009, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
BABY, it's cold outside. Or, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, it soon will be.
And that means 'tis the season when extra kilograms can pile up faster than frost on a pumpkin.
United States fitness experts said that with a little extra effort you can bring your workout in from the cold.
"The real key is to stick with it. Stay motivated and don't let the winter get the best of you," said Kerri O'Brien, an exercise physiologist with Life Fitness, which designs and manufactures exercise equipment.
"In winter we cover up a lot more and we don't have the threat of the dreaded bikinis, so we negotiate with ourselves," she said. "The average American gains eight pounds (3.62 kilogram) over the holidays."
And then they hit the gym.
Keith Worts, chief operating officer of the Crunch national health club chain, said attendance always spiked in winter.
"We have about 25 percent more members joining," Worts said. "People can't go outside to run and bike."
Worts said as the seasons changed, so did the fitness classes. A summer workout geared to getting clientele ready for their bikinis will likely give way to a winter "pre-ski" class that strengthens leg muscles.
He said the economic downturn had even more people flocking to clubs as the thermometer plunged.
"It helps your mind cope with stress and anxiety," he said. "The days are shorter. You get cooped up, especially in New York apartments. And it's a place to go."
David Harris of the Equinox fitness chain urged would-be winter warriors to ask an expert how to safely warm up those cold-weather muscles and joints.
"Consult a floor trainer who can demonstrate a dynamic warm-up," he said, "rather than a generalized warm-up on a fixed path like a treadmill, which is just one direction."
Pete McCall, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, said winter can be perilous for muscles.
"As the temperature drops your muscles are very elastic," he said. "Like a rubber band, if you put them in the freezer, they'll probably snap.
"In cooler weather muscles just aren't as pliable, so the likelihood of injury is greater."
McCall recommended adding more hip work, core and balance exercises to increase stability in snow and ice. He also stresses the importance of staying hydrated.
"In winter the body can spend a lot of energy trying to stay warm, so one might not feel as thirsty because of the cooler air," he said.
And there's always the shopping-mall alternative.
"Health clubs during the winter are great because you don't have to feel the environmental factors," McCall said. "But another option is to go to malls, or other areas with controlled climates, and use that to walk and stay fit without a health club membership."
And that means 'tis the season when extra kilograms can pile up faster than frost on a pumpkin.
United States fitness experts said that with a little extra effort you can bring your workout in from the cold.
"The real key is to stick with it. Stay motivated and don't let the winter get the best of you," said Kerri O'Brien, an exercise physiologist with Life Fitness, which designs and manufactures exercise equipment.
"In winter we cover up a lot more and we don't have the threat of the dreaded bikinis, so we negotiate with ourselves," she said. "The average American gains eight pounds (3.62 kilogram) over the holidays."
And then they hit the gym.
Keith Worts, chief operating officer of the Crunch national health club chain, said attendance always spiked in winter.
"We have about 25 percent more members joining," Worts said. "People can't go outside to run and bike."
Worts said as the seasons changed, so did the fitness classes. A summer workout geared to getting clientele ready for their bikinis will likely give way to a winter "pre-ski" class that strengthens leg muscles.
He said the economic downturn had even more people flocking to clubs as the thermometer plunged.
"It helps your mind cope with stress and anxiety," he said. "The days are shorter. You get cooped up, especially in New York apartments. And it's a place to go."
David Harris of the Equinox fitness chain urged would-be winter warriors to ask an expert how to safely warm up those cold-weather muscles and joints.
"Consult a floor trainer who can demonstrate a dynamic warm-up," he said, "rather than a generalized warm-up on a fixed path like a treadmill, which is just one direction."
Pete McCall, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, said winter can be perilous for muscles.
"As the temperature drops your muscles are very elastic," he said. "Like a rubber band, if you put them in the freezer, they'll probably snap.
"In cooler weather muscles just aren't as pliable, so the likelihood of injury is greater."
McCall recommended adding more hip work, core and balance exercises to increase stability in snow and ice. He also stresses the importance of staying hydrated.
"In winter the body can spend a lot of energy trying to stay warm, so one might not feel as thirsty because of the cooler air," he said.
And there's always the shopping-mall alternative.
"Health clubs during the winter are great because you don't have to feel the environmental factors," McCall said. "But another option is to go to malls, or other areas with controlled climates, and use that to walk and stay fit without a health club membership."
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