Effective Clothing Layers

Everyone is different. Especially when it comes to their bodies’ response to working out. Sometimes we do not even know until the weather changes. With all this cold weather blowing through, a common problem may be keeping you inside and out of the gym. Sometimes all you need are a few helpful hints to get over the cold.

During Boot camp we have an wide variety of workouts. Sometimes these include both indoor and outdoor exercises. It is never a bad idea to bring your cold weather arsenal to each work out. To get the heart pumping, we might warm up with a quick 200-400 meter run. Some people struggle with the cold air.

I have heard people use terms like “cold weather asthma”, “burning”, etc. to describe the pain that comes from the cold air. Although, eventually, the body will acclimate itself and all will be well. If you are not moving to Minnesota, why not find an interim solution. The problem stems from the temperature difference between the cold air and our normal body temperature. It is like putting ice in boiling water.

Thin, warm gloves

At first, the ice will crack and melt. Eventually, the ice will cool down the water and the melting would occur at a more natural pace. Between these two happenings is a median that we can apply to cold air intake. It is something that impedes the direct hot on cold interaction like a buffer.

A couple of great ideas to put between your mouth and the cold air are scarves, bandannas, & face masks. Scarves and bandannas are pretty self-explanatory. Put them over your mouth. In the face mask department there is a huge selection. If you are looking to stay on the lower side of the monetary scale, a simple dust mask will do a pretty decent job. I don’t recommend this for people that wear glasses because there is not a good seal and the glasses will fog.

However, if you are an avid outdoor exerciser and want to squash this problem for good, I would recommend a runners face mask. They range in price from $5 (probably comparable in function to the aforementioned dust mask) to $85 (top of the line, fog free, too much for a southern state dweller).

Another problem that plagues the outdoor exerciser are cold extremities. Hands, feet, legs, & arms all get cold. Of course, the hands are usually the first to feel the affects of the cold weather. Get some gloves. Gloves that you don’t mind getting dirty and have a grip to them. I would check out the hardware stores or gardening departments before I looked in the winter section of the department store. Dress in layers. We all know, everyone that works out sweats.

Proof Of Work!

If you are sweating you are probably hot. Wear something underneath the long sleeves so you can be comfortable throughout your workout. Also, if you are going to be indoor and outdoor or just outdoors remember that when you sweat you will soon be colder. Sweat is liquid and reacts to the cold as such (i.e. it could freeze given the chance). The layers are good to put back on when you get cold. It is also a good idea to wear thicker socks. This will keep the cold out and away from the toes.

Get up and put your cold weather gear together. You need a buffer for the cold air, utilitarian gloves, layers, and thick socks. Sounds pretty simple, but it makes for a better work out.

Now you’re ready, so get over to the gym and let’s get training!