Cool weather workouts

Ebony, Oct, 1998

Cold weather is no excuse for not working out, says fitness expert Donna Richardson. "Even if the season is changing," she says, "think of fitness as part of your lifestyle for a lifetime."

Summer is gone, but it doesn't mean that your warm weather fitness routine must be forgotten. Fitness experts say that when the season changes, you simply change your approach to exercise. For you can't blow off your workout just because of the chilly air, a few falling flurries and all those extra layers of clothes that can hide any extra pounds.

"Because you're not seeing your body in that sexy, sleeve, less dress or those shorts that you wear during the summer, you're not as in tune to it," says Donna Richardson, national fitness expert and author of Let's Get Real, a guide to health and fitness. "So you get a little relaxed, and when you relax, you fall off the wagon a little during the fall months. By the time the holidays roll around, you probably have picked up a few and the wagon is dragging you."

To make matters even worse, your metabolism tends to slow down during the fall and winter seasons, which also contributes to weight gain, says Charles Little, an international fitness and aerobics veteran. "The body is a wonderful mechanism that has many cheeks and balances," he says. "It naturally wants to put on more body fat during the cold weather to maintain its core temperature, and it slows the metabolism to make sure you have enough energy to last the duration."

Besides, who says just because it's cooler you can't exercise outdoors? Fitness experts say you still can walk, run, ride your bike and even rollerblade outside as long as you dress for the weather (and conditions are fairly decent). Stay dry and toasty by layering your clothing so you can shed outer layers as you work up a sweat. And remember how mama always reminded you to wear a hat? Well, she was light since you lose a lot of heat from your head in cold weather. Speaking of your head, use it when you're exercising outdoors. If it's too cold or conditions are too dangerous, shorten your workout or skip an outdoor regimen altogether. Your goal is to stay in shape, not get sick.

Bring Outdoor Activities Indoors

Maybe the thought of exercising outside when the mercury drops gives you more chills than thrills. But cold weather is no excuse not to work out. Brigette Clark, a 25-year-old financial loan officer for First Savings Bank in Chicago and part-time aerobics instructor, hates cold weather. But she doesn't let icy temperatures give her workout a snow job.

"I just come indoors when the weather turns cold," says Clark, who replaces her summer outdoor regimen of biking, blading and jogging with indoor activities at the gym, such as strength training or swimming. Even if you can't afford a health club membership or can't make it to the gym because of bad weather, the experts say you still have plenty of workout options. You can visit an indoor roller skating rink, swim at an indoor pool, or play basketball or racquetball at an indoor court. Shopping malls and museums make great indoor tracks and some even have walking clubs. Of course, you can always find a gym or local "Y" with an indoor track or treadmills.

For those die-hard cyclists who hate the cold, there's a new fad sweeping through health clubs known as spinning, which supposedly simulates the experience of an outdoor bike ride in an aerobics-class-like setting. To get psyched up for an indoor cold weather regimen, Little says that you should "think of it its a training program so that when you come back the next year, you're even stronger at those activities."

Make Home A Home Gym

Even if it's cold outside or the roads are slick, you still have a perfectly good fitness center under your roof. If you have old exercise equipment in the basement or attic collecting cobwebs, dust it off and put it to use. Or get creative and turn everyday chores into mini-workouts. Richardson says you can bum calories just by adding a little "oomph" to housecleaning. For instance, while vacuuming, take large lunges with each motion to tone up your hips, thighs and buttocks. Instead of watching TV or talking on the phone "passively," do it "actively" by getting on the floor in front of the television and doing push-ups and ab crunches. Or get on the edge of a sofa or chair and do tricep dips while viewing your favorite program. If you're talking on the phone, do leg lifts or bicep curls. If you don't have dumbbells, use large, unopened cans for weights.

Substitute The Old For The New

It's easy to get bored with any routine, not just a cold weather one, if you keep doing the same things over and over again. But experts say you can keep your workout interesting if you exercise creativity and try different things.

For instance, if softball season is over, play football instead--tag or tackle, your choice. Go ice skating, cross-country or downhill skiing. Join an aerobics or dance class. Pump up your stereo with your favorite tunes while exercising and "shako your groove thang," as Richardson puts it. Rake leaves into a big pile (good exercise for your arms) and jump into it for fun. When that first heavy snowfall hits, take a walk--not around, not near, but directly through that fresh white powder to give your legs a wonderful workout. And after you finish romping in the snow, if you really want some serious muscles, try shoveling it.