Cold Weather

Cold Weather

When the temperature starts to drop, so does our interest in working out. It''s cold. It''s icy. We might slip. We might fall. And even if we''re exercising indoors, it just seems like too much effort to get from the car to the gym, change, work out, shower, and drive home in a cold car with wet hair. Plus, the days seem shorter—it''s dark when we get out of work. We don''t want to waste any time exercising; we just want to get home and hibernate until spring.

If you live in a place where cold weather strikes, you''re probably all too familiar with this litany of excuses. What you may not know is this: You get a better workout in cold weather than in hot. It''s true. You don''t lose as much water and you don''t overheat as quickly, so you can work out longer and possibly harder. Also, there''s some evidence that cold weather actually causes your body to work harder—your heart has to contend with pumping blood faster not only to keep up with your exercise but also to keep you warm.

"There''s plenty of anecdotal evidence to show that people respond better to exercising in the cold," says Al Paolone, Ed.D., professor of exercise physiology in the physical education department at Temple University in Philadelphia. "They tend to feel more invigorated after a chilly morning run than after a jog through sweltering heat."

Frigid Fitness Factors

That''s not to say you shouldn''t be a little more careful when you exercise in the ice and snow. A cold-weather workout—for our purposes, that''s any exercise you do outside in temperatures in the low 40s or colder—can be hard on your body. We''re talking frostbite, injuring yourself from a slip on the ice, throwing your back out from snow-shoveling—you get the idea.

And if you have a history of heart or lung trouble, a cold-weather workout could be dangerous. "You definitely want a doctor''s okay before you work out a lot in cold weather," cautions David Spodick, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and director of the cardiac fellowship program at St. Vincent Hospital, both in Worcester. "Winter exercise puts more strain on your cardiovascular system, both from the cold itself and from whatever exercise you''re engaged in. It requires that you have a little common sense and the presence of mind to prepare for the cold," he says.

Making a Cold Start

How then do you prepare for a cold-weather workout? Follow these tips and you may just earn the best, safest—and certainly the coolest—workout of your life.

Warm up first. You''ll be able to exercise more efficiently in cold weather if you take a few minutes to warm up indoors first. "Something as simple as jogging in place for a few minutes before going outside will limber up your muscles and get your heart and lungs working. Then when you go outside, you''ll find that the cold isn''t so bad," says Dr. Paolone.

Watch the weather. Before you go out for a wintertime run, be sure you know what the temperature is out there and, more important, the windchill factor. "That''s your best indicator of how cold it really is outside," says Dr. Paolone. "And if you know that, you''ll know how much to bundle up—or whether you should stay indoors." We''ve included a handy windchill chart to help you prepare for the cold.

Cover your mouth. Mouth and nose feeling raspy from breathing in all that cold air? Don''t let it slow you down.

"When you''re doing moderate exercise, wear a scarf or some kind of covering over your mouth," says Henry Gong, M.D., chief of the environmental health service at Ranchos Los Amigos Medical Center in Downey, California. This will slightly warm up the air before it gets into your airways, thus making breathing easier. "It''s especially good for people with a history of respiratory problems, such as exercise-induced asthma. Cold air really agitates these problems," says Dr. Gong.

Live in layers. Layering is your best weapon against cold weather. "By wearing several layers of clothes, you create cushions of warm air between the cold and your skin. That will keep you warmer and prevent loss of body heat and possible hypothermia," says Dr. Paolone. If you''re seriously exercising outdoors, you''ll want to wear three layers.

* Under layer. That sounds like "underwear," and for good reason; this is the layer closest to your skin. Ideally, you''ll want a set of long johns made of a synthetic material like polypropylene or Capilene—these are designed to wick sweat and moisture away from your body, thus keeping you dry and warm. Avoid cotton, which soaks up moisture, leaving you wet and cold.

* Insulating layer. This layer helps trap body heat. You''ll want some insulating bulk, but nothing so thick that you can''t fit the last layer over it. Wool pants or shirts are okay, but because they soak up a lot of moisture and are bulky, think about investing in lightweight synthetics like Hollofil, Thinsulate or polyester fleece.

* Outer layer. This is also known as your shell layer. Your main concern here isn''t how thick it is, says Dr. Paolone, but how waterproof and breathable it is. Coated nylon or materials like Gore-Tex help move moisture out, but also keep it from getting in.

Wear a hat. You can lose as much as 40 percent of your body heat through the top of your head. You''ll be able to work out longer and better by wearing a hat. So wear one—and we mean a hat, not just ear warmers or a headband. Preferably, the hat should be made of an insulating material like wool and should cover the top of your head and most of your ears, says Dr. Paolone. That rules out baseball caps.

Protect your fingers. Don''t overlook your fingers in cold weather. They are susceptible to frostbite. The best way to prevent that is to cover your fingers. Mittens are better than gloves, says Dr. Paolone, because they trap warm air around your fingers.

Wear sunglasses. You have to worry about ultraviolet rays even in winter. If you are out skiing down a snowy mountain on a sunny day, you''ll need sunglasses to protect your eyes from damage. Buy a brand with ultraviolet blocking on the lenses, says Merrill Allen, O.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus of optometry at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Warming to a Winter Workout

Now that you know what to do before you go out in the cold, you''ll want to make the most of the actual workout. Whether you''re running, cycling or shoveling snow, there are ways to stay as warm and safe as possible, even when the mercury is dropping faster than a crashing stock market. Try these.

Use the buddy system. Indoors or out, if you want to work out when it''s cold, drag a friend along with you. "If you''re having trouble motivating yourself to get to the gym, having a friend to work out with makes you less likely to blow off exercise. You''ll feel obligated to one another to work out, and that''s good," says Dr. Paolone.

Outdoors, the buddy system takes on even greater significance for your general well-being. "If one of you gets injured or pulls a muscle, the other can go for help," says Dr. Paolone. Once you''re sitting still in the cold, nursing that sprain, you become a ready victim for hypothermia, a drastic loss of body heat caused by cold exposure.

Stay in the sun. Despite what the mercury tells you, some places outdoors are colder than others.

"You can modify your workouts so that you''re exercising in the warmest possible places," says Dr. Paolone. For example, try to work out when and where you can see sunlight. "Even though it''s cold, you''ll get some radiant heat from the sun—far more than if you''re exercising in the shadows," he says.

Do a dry run. Streets, sidewalks and parks that have been cleared of snow are going to be much warmer running tracks for you than surfaces with even a light dusting of snow or ice. "Besides being less slippery, dry surfaces like cement or tar, instead of snow and ice, will keep your feet warmer," says Dr. Paolone.

Seek sheltered areas. Because of the danger—and the real bone-numbing cold—of icy winds, try to exercise in places where there are plenty of natural and manmade barriers to block the wind. In general, says Dr. Paolone, tree-lined streets are much warmer than a wide-open road or trail where the wind can build up and freeze your butt off.

Put your back to it. You can''t always avoid a stiff winter wind. When you''re out running or biking and there''s nothing between you and that blustery breeze, turn around and let it blow you the other way. You won''t feel as cold with the wind at your back, says Dr. Paolone. If you have to exercise against the wind, do it on your outward trip. Even in winter, you''ll be sweating on the return trip. That''s why it''s better to take the wind on your back coming home. If the wind hits exposed sweaty skin such as your face, you''ll rapidly lose body heat through evaporation.

Shovel Smartly

Every winter the number of men dying from heart attacks suddenly doubles or triples. Why? "Some of them are killing themselves by shoveling snow," says Dr. Spodick.

Here''s why snow-shoveling is so hard on the heart. First, in cold weather, your ticker has to cope with the stress of pumping more blood to keep you warm; now your blood pressure is elevated. On top of that, when you shovel snow, you''re mixing two very different kinds of exercise. "First you''re lifting a static weight, then you''re throwing it. And you''re doing the two in quick succession," says Dr. Spodick. Each action is tough on the heart by itself; taken together, they''re a brutal combination.

And yet, if you don''t have a history of heart trouble and you''ve been working out regularly, snow-shoveling can be one heck of a cold-weather exercise. Here''s how to do it right, according to John Emmett, Ph.D., exercise physiologist and associate professor of physical education at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

A B C

Proper Shoveling Technique

A: With one hand, hold onto the end of the shovel handle. Place your other hand about 18 inches up from the point where the handle meets the blade. If your hands are a little more than shoulder-width apart, you have the right-size tool for you. Push the shovel straight ahead into the snow—don''t shove it off to the left or right, where you might have to twist to pick it up.

B: Scoop up a small load of snow, not a heavy pile—that only puts more of a strain on your heart and back. Take your time and shovel light loads. "This isn''t a weight-lifting contest," says Dr. Spodick.

C:Don''t lift with your back. Instead, rise up, using mostly your arms and legs to lift the load.

Flipping your snowy load to the side or over your shoulder only pulls muscles and damages lower backs. Turn your whole body to dump the snow, pivoting with your feet, not twisting at the waist.

Finally, take lots of breaks. Stand up straight, walk around—this will keep your spine and your heart happy. If exertion causes any new unpleasantness or pain, discontinue the activity, says Dr. Spodick.