Winterize Your Workout
During the frigid winter months, most of our exercise takes place indoors. I wanted to force myself outside more so I scheduled Sundays as outdoor cardio day and Thursdays as brisk walk day. Tuesdays can be either indoor or outdoor cardio. Extreme temperatures, wind chills, icy roads, and lack of daylight all factor in, so be flexible! Cold air triggers my asthma. If I know there is a mild day in the forecast, I’ll swap a yoga day to be outside. Of course, if I’m pushing the snowblower through 8 inches of snow, I might just count that as my outdoor cardio for the week!
Cardio – Winter Workout Tips
Outdoor Cardio in the Winter:
Shovel Snow
Sledding
Cross-Country Skiing
Play in the Snow
Walk/Jog/Run
Bike
Snowshoeing
Ice Skating
Make a Snowman, Igloo, and Snow Angels
Before you workout outdoors in winter, make sure you are only doing outdoor cardio during the warmest part of the day. Before you get dressed, protect yourself by applying a heavy moisturizer to all of your skin with SPF on your face and use lip balm. Wear proper winter workout apparel (think warm and dry). Don’t forget to protect your ears, nose, and fingers! Do your warm-up indoors. Keep yourself hydrated. After your workout session, immediately remove sweaty layers and shower. Drink hot tea or broth.
Indoor Cardio:
When confined inside, the key is to mix up the workouts…
Cardio DVDs, Insanity, P90X, T25
Just Dance Games or Zumba Workouts on the Wii
Stationary bike
Elliptical
Treadmill
Run up & down the stairs
What other tips do you have for outdoor winter cardio?
XOXO,
Young Wifey
Young Wifey's Blog 