Frequently, cold weather is the reason why so many fans of an active lifestyle lose their motivation for workouts. When the winter holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve with their temptations of traditional culinary delights come along, outdoor running might not seem like a good idea. However, winter outdoor exercises benefit your health no less than summer ones. Mild cold is the perfect muscle activator which helps in hardening your body due to an intensive lung workout. Also, exercising outdoors is a great supplement to the monotony of the gym.
Of course, there are some safety precautions for Winter-time workouts which should be employed, but with the right approach you get a great chance to stay fit during the winter and avoid gaining excess weight caused by inactivity and holiday overeating.

First of all, it is necessary to take into account the weather conditions. The minimum temperature at which it is recommended to do outdoor exercises is 18 degrees below zero. However, this advice is valid only if the weather is calm. In high winds and the humidity higher than 90% the temperature should not be lower than -10 degrees.
Before the start do a warm up first. A proper warm up is critical before any workout. It is better to start with an easy walk gradually progressing into a run. You also need to do some exercises for the humeral belt. Many beginners make the crucial mistake of starting with the run without getting warm. It can lead to the sharp overcooling of the respiratory tract and in the worst case to pneumonia.

Remember the regularity, graduality and adequacy of physical loads. The duration of the first winter workouts should not exceed half an hour. By doing physical exercises regularly, the duration can be increased to one and a half hours. Besides, it is very important to move even during the breaks between sets in order to avoid heat loss. Otherwise, your body will cool down very fast the effects of which can also lead to serious illness.

Another critical point for the winter workout is your choice of clothes. Wrong equipment might be the reason of rapid fatigue and as a consequence low efficiency of the training process. The common rule says: “There is no bad weather, there are only bad clothes”. In winter it is of particular importance. The main requirements of clothes are the protection from wind and water, heat retention, disposal of excess moisture and the freedom of movement. The best approach is to dress with layers. The first layer which is closest to the skin should consist of synthetic material and not absorb sweat. The second layer can be made of fleece and the top layer should be both wind and water resistant.

So, keep in mind all of these tips regarding winter fitness and continue doing outdoor workouts during the winter season. Staying active when it’s cold outside will help you to strengthen the immune system, treat insomnia, relieve stress and improve your mood.

To contact Arseny or for further details:
Arseny Veber
MHMK Master Student
Tel: +49 01577-7327231
e-mail: ars-veber@inbox.ru