Weekly Tips for Your Peak Fitness and Wellness

This Week's Tip: Weather Winter Storms Safely

Exercising outdoors during cold weather can be exhilarating--as long as you prepare for Mother Nature. Since winter means shorter, darker days, wear bright colors or don a traffic safety vest with reflective strips to make it easier for drivers to spot you. On slick roads, wear low-cut hikers or trail runners instead of your usual shoes as the grooved tread will give you a more surefooted grip. We also like the lightweight rubber traction provided by YakTrax, (http://www.yaktrax.com), which you slip on right over your shoes. (We can run on ice in these things, no joke!)
 
Keep a shortcut link to the weather forecast on your desktop so you can check the conditions before you head out. If things look a little bleak, choose a repeatable, shorter loop instead of your usual workout route so you can head for home sooner if the weather turns bad. And since wind can significantly increase the rate at which your body loses heat, factor it in when you consider the temperature. i.e. A temp of 0 degrees can feel like 20 below with a mere 15 mph wind and it also means you have just 30 minutes before frostbite sets in (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/conversion/windchill.html). (If that’s the case, it might be the perfect day for an indoor yoga dvd.) When you’re done, don’t forget to shower or at least change your clothes to prevent getting chilled.

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