Head outside for some chills, thrills and exercise
The nasty cold and wind chill aside, wintertime activity is beckoning us more than ever
The plus side of moving our workouts outdoors this winter is that we'll get reacquainted with sports we haven't done in years. Canadians will be stepping into skis, lacing up skates and strapping on snowshoes in record numbers as they find new ways to stay active and break up the tedium of spending so much time at home.
If it's been a while since you explored the great Canadian winter sports scene, here's a primer on what to expect. Just remember to dress for the weather and the activity, piling on or taking off layers as needed. And don't forget to bring the family with you. The combination of fresh air and exercise never fails to reset the mood in a house filled with bored adults and kids.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
Cross-country skiing is the king of aerobic workouts, with elite skiers posting some of the most impressive fitness stats of any athletes. The kick, glide and pole movements of the classic style require a combined effort of upper and lower body, along with enough stamina to manage the rolling terrain. If you choose the skating technique over the traditional style of skiing, the double poling arm action makes even more demands on the upper body.
A winter spent cross-country skiing keeps runners and cyclists in top form during the off-season. Runners should stick with the classic technique, which best replicates the stride of running, while skate skiing is a better option for cyclists looking to keep their legs in shape for the spring.
If you're new to the sport or have been off your skis for several years, don't be too ambitious the first few times. Start with a short one- or two-kilometre loop and repeat it if you're still feeling fresh. There's plenty of winter left to build up to longer, more challenging trails.
ALPINE (DOWNHILL) SKIING
The physiological demands of alpine skiing are more similar to interval training than a sustained workout, as you energetically carve your way down the hill followed by a substantial period
of rest and recovery as you ride the lift back up. If it's your first time on skis in a while, your legs will feel it — and not just in the big muscles needed to control the skis while heading downhill in that classic skier's crouch. The smaller stabilizing muscles of the hips and knees go into overdrive to maintain the balance and stability needed to respond to the changes in speed, direction and terrain that are characteristic of a run down the mountain.
The first time back on the slopes calls for caution. If your timing and co-ordination are off while cross-country skiing, the consequences lean more toward embarrassment than serious injury. The same can't be said for anyone feeling a little rusty while hurtling down the slope at high speeds. Be patient. The skier of old is still there — you just need a bit of time to find your inner Steve Podborski or Kerrin Lee- Gartner.
ICE SKATING
Rinks have been popping up in more backyards and municipalities this winter, suggesting that skating outdoors is going to be the sport of choice for the next few months. It's easy on the joints, but still a good lower-body workout — skaters build impressive legs and, like skiers, fire up a lot of small stabilizer muscles that may have been dormant for several years. And since outdoor ice tends to be a little bumpier and skaters have extra wind resistance to deal with, the energy cost of skating outside is greater than skating circles indoors.
If it's been a while since you hit the ice, you may want to reconsider pulling on those old skates from the back of your closet. Skates have come a long way in terms of comfort, so don't put up with models that pinch or collapse at the ankles. And be sure to get the blades sharpened before you step on the ice for the first time, or you may end up looking more like Bambi than Tessa Virtue or Scott Moir.
SNOWSHOEING
Making tracks in fresh snow is one of the joys of winter — especially if you're wearing a pair of snowshoes. Designed to keep you from being knee-deep in powder, today's snowshoes are lighter, narrower and shorter than the traditional wooden models that have been pretty much phased out of circulation. The newer models are also easier to walk in, and with crampons at the heel and ball of your foot, icy conditions are less of a concern — especially if you pair the snowshoes with walking (trekking) poles.
Just make sure your footwear is light enough and with enough flex in the toe box to keep your stride as close to natural as possible. That said, it takes significantly more effort to lift a snowshoe up and out of the snow than it does to lift a winter boot, so not only will your legs get a workout, you might feel a little post-snowshoe soreness in the hip flexors (located at the front of the hip), which are working harder than usual.
And don't overdress. Snowshoeing is hard work, especially in fresh snow, which means you'll work up a sweat even on days when the mercury falls well below zero.