Winter is upon us. It’s cold, maybe you even got a little snow by now…okay, maybe a lot. Either way, all you can think about is getting where you have to go and coming home to a hot cup of tea, a warm bowl of soup or a hot coffee. Okay, but remember how at the end of last year, you made a new life resolution to get back into shape, to live a healthier lifestyle? Uh huh. But then, you know, it got real cold and stuff. Dammit! Just when you were all motivated too. Face it, winter’s probably kicking your ass right now and you don’t even know how to get back in the ring. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can reclaim your winter workout and show winter who’s boss by doing these three simple things.

Get Outside

The biggest challenge to being active is motivation and–let’s face it–motivation is at least ten times harder when it’s freezing outside. It’s like your body goes into hibernation mode. How do you motivate yourself to workout when all you want to do is stay indoors? The answer is the same as it is any season: get outside. No fluffy talk here. Just make it happen. This is even more crucial in the winter, when the cold deters us from getting off the couch. Even if you walk for 15 minutes, that’s an accomplishment. You just have to buckle down and do it.

Motivation never gets easier, you just become more disciplined. In his novel, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami describes his realization about motivation:

Once, I interviewed the Olympic runner Toshihiko Seko [...]. I asked him, “Does a runner at your level ever feel like you’d rather not run today, like you don’t want to run and would rather just sleep in?” He stared at me and then in a voice that made it abundantly clear how stupid he thought the question was, replied, “Of course. All the time.”

Gear-Up

I remember my first winter run in Chicago. Let’s just say I was, in a word, unprepared. I ran for about 15 minutes, just enough to get a nice sweat going, before I finally stopped, turned around and shivered my way home, cursing my ignorance. I needed gear. Coming from Atlanta, gear and running were two words I never put together. Yeah, I knew there were local running shops with fancy-smancy stretchy clothes, but whatever. I might have bought shoes there, but I didn’t need no stinkin’ stretchy pants.

Until I did. Standing in that hot shower, trying to feel my toes, I accepted defeat: my old basketball/gym clothes were not going to cut it, not in Chicago. So I bought myself some fancy-smancy stretchy clothes, amongst other things. Hey look, I’m a real runner! Over the years, I’ve learned what it takes to be active in cold weather and I’ve made a list of essential gear. Check it out:

• Layers - Ask any cold weather athlete the key to staying warm and you’ll always hear them say this word: layers. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “Well, duh.” But do you know how to layer? Turns out you need three layers: a base layer, insulation layer and shell layer. Also, cotton is the devil when it comes to working out in cold weather because it holds moisture, keeping you wet and cold. Check out this REI article on how to dress in layers for more info.

• Scully – Simply put, you should keep your head covered during cold weather exercise. Why? Because heat escapes from your head, so to keep your body heat level, you need to wear a hat. Most people prefer something minimal like a scully/beanie. They’re simple and effective. Get one made with a wool/synthetic blend. It’ll keep you warm and repel moisture.
• Socks – Some people say that gloves are the second most important thing to wear during cold weather exercise. Yes, they are important, but I think socks are more important. Especially if you are running, your feet need to stay warm, but they don’t need to be wet. Solution? Moisture wicking socks. I swear by Mizuno BreathThermo socks. They keep my feet warm and dry, in fact, they’re warmer than any of my thick wool socks, even though they are half as thick.

• Gloves – Like frostbitten fingers? Didn’t think so. Wear gloves during cold weather. You might think that you’re a heat machine, but those fingers will say otherwise after a few minutes of exercise in the cold. Visit your local running shop or local bike shop and ask them to show you their glove section. You have two options: get one pair of gloves to last you all winter. The advantage is that you only have to worry about one pair. Or, you can get two pairs: an insert and an outer shell (the method I use). The insert keeps you warm, while the outer layer acts as a windbreaker and/or rain shield. The advantage? See layers above.

• Goggles/Sunglasses – If you’re exercising outside in snowy weather, chances are things will blow into your eyes. Squinting and working out are a bad mix. Do yourself a favor and get some goggles or all-weather sunglasses and wear them when you need to. Your eyes will thank you.

• Bright colors – Two reasons to wear bright colors when you’re exercising outdoors in the winter. One, if there’s snow outside, everything looks light or dark, so your monotone workout outfit, though cute, won’t aid visibility. You need to wear something that will get you noticed. For all intensive purposes, when exercising in inclement weather or post-inclement weather, assume it’s night time. Why? Because of my second point: winter weather motorists are not nice. Remember what I said earlier about just wanting to get where you’re going when it’s cold? Well, every driver is thinking that too. So the chances of one of them not noticing your new monotone workout outfit while you’re jogging, cycling or walking are greater. Wear bright obnoxious colors and everybody’s safe and happy. Well, safe anyway.

Cross-train

Okay, so what if you just can’t take another run, or whatever activity you’re doing to stay fit? You cross-train. It’s a fancy way of saying, “tag!” But instead of tagging, say, your running shoes that you want to throw in the lake, you switch to your bicycle or rock-climbing, or…you get the idea: you do something different.

After I quit marathon training last January, I just didn’t feel like running anymore. Then I hurt my ankle and I decided that I definitely was NOT running again for a while, so I started cycling and fell in love with it all over again. Because I loved doing it, it felt like fun, not exercise and I got healthier with a big ‘ol smile on my face. If (insert activity here) has you down, maybe you should switch to something else too. Not everyone likes cycling, but there’s tons to choose from, even indoor sports. Here are some ideas to check out:

• Cycling
• Crossfit
• Yoga
• Indoor rock-climbing
• Racquetball
• Volleyball

So, how are those new life fitness resolutions going? Join the discussion and share some ways that you’re staying motivated!

Photo credits: Cycling Winter | Tejvan Pettinger | CC BY-2.0; Running in Winter Wonderland | Tim Wilson | CC BY 2.0

exercise, fitness, motivation, running, winter