Snow is already falling and as we break into winter, the weather is going to be colder. Your summer exercise routine will not be applicable anymore. And if you insist on maintaining your regimen, you might not obtain the benefits of a cold weather fitness routine.
But since you are not there yet, you need to have a transition before shifting fully to an exercise regimen suited to cold weather. It is really difficult to keep on working out when it’s cold. Your muscles have a hard time adjusting to the cold and you will feel every movement to be very taxing.
It is very important not to suddenly stop exercising just because it is getting terribly cold. The following transition workouts will help you shift your warm exercise regimen easily to cold weather fitness routine.
1. Maximize the use of your gym membership.
If you love running and it’s too cold outside, you have nowhere else to go but inside your home and do your running there. However, this is rather boring and it is not as exciting as running outdoors. Perhaps becoming a member of a gym such as Equinox gym, or Fitness First gym is your answer.
If you can’t get outside to do your running routine, there is always an equivalent discipline in the gym that can provide the same results. Just ask the physical trainer at the gym and he will be able to guide you on what you need to do.
2. Keep tabs with the weather.
One of the most effective ways in helping your body adjust to the cold weather is by checking the weather forecast for the week. This will allow you to see which days are projected to have the warmest temperatures. You need to plan your workouts around those days. In this way, you can avoid super cold weather and still accomplish your exercise regimen.
3. Dress in tighter exercise clothes.
When it is getting cold, it is time for you to lose your oversized shirt and leggings. Start wearing tighter exercise clothes. It is the recommendation of fitness experts to stick to tighter yet cozy apparel during the fall to winter season. In this way, you can check and see how your body is retaining your summer fitness levels. It is a lot easier to have smaller weight fluctuations, than having your weight suddenly go down and suffer physical inconveniences.
4. Schedule your workout at the hottest part of the day.
It is not enough to know the hottest days in the week. For a better transition, you need to schedule your workout on the warmest part of those hot days. The hottest temperature during the day is usually in the midday. This is especially true if you are used to an outdoor workout. It is hard to fix a schedule because you are dependent on the weather forecast. So be prepared to flex your time.
5. Get used to making last minute changes.
This is really the essence of transitioning from warm to cold weather workout routines. You need to accept the need to make last minute changes. Remember, you are at the mercy of the weather, which is not something you can control.
It does not matter if you are building up your resistance for a race, or trying to achieve some stats on your performance. If the weather does not cooperate, you cannot do anything but change your routine, or skip a workout altogether and do it the next time the weather is more cooperative.
6. Start working out indoors.
If the weather is getting cold outside, and you feel you are not at it, start working indoors first until you get your adrenaline heated up. Take about 5 to 10 minutes of warming up exercises indoors. Once you feel that you are ready to take out the cold outside, then that’s the time to run out in the open. When you feel that your body is sufficiently warmed up, it won’t be hard for you to get that motivation to complete your workout outdoors.
7. Do your workout with a friend.
When the weather is cold, the warmth of a friend means a lot. And this is also true, most especially in performing exercise regimens outdoors. Runners will have an easier time getting motivated if they will find a buddy that they can count on that will help them complete their exercise workout.
If you know that someone is waiting for you out there, it will be much easier for you to get out of bed and meet him at your appointed place and time. It is also an opportune time to be of help to someone who needs a little encouragement in completing his routine outdoors.