A PLAN FOR ALL SEASONS
THE WEATHER MIGHT BE ON THE TURN, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO STOP TRAINING OUTSIDE. VICKI-MARIE COSSAR LOOKS INTO HOW TO MAINTAIN AN OUTDOOR FITNESS REGIME SAFELY
AS THE sunshine starts to fade and the cold weather sets in, we don’t blame you for wanting to swap your squats for the sofa. However, while it can be tempting to let your training fall by the wayside in autumn, don’t let your fitness goals slip. We all know the benefits of training outdoors – from topping up our vitamin D and boosting our immune systems, to reducing the stress hormone cortisol – and with a little care and caution it’s still perfectly fine to carry on as normal in the winter months.
‘Exercising outside in the autumnal period is still fine as long as you take some precautions,’ says Dr Elijah Behr, Cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London (mayoclinichealthcare.co.uk). ‘The physiological effects of exercising in the cold means it’s more demanding on the body and often means you burn more energy than you normally would. Your body needs to create more heat when its outside in the cold while at the same time expending energy for fitness, so you burn more calories. This means it’s important to have a reasonable intake of calories before you go outside for a training session. People also tend to drink less in the cold, but you are still losing a lot of fluid through sweating and evaporation. I always suggest rehydrating with isotonic fluids, so you’re rehydrating with what your body is losing rather than just water alone.’
Preparation is key when it comes to an enjoyable outdoor session so plan ahead. ‘First and foremost, dress for the weather conditions and for the activity you’re doing,’ says David Rigg, a Sports
Rehabilitator at NK
Active (nkactive.co.uk) and former Special Forces who spent nine winters teaching survival training in Norway.
‘Layering is important, so have a number of thin layers that you can remove as you go. Venting is important and zips can be undone, while thumb loops allow you to expose hands and wrists to cool the blood,’ he says.
‘A moisture-wicking fabric helps to keep the skin dry and comfortable during your activity and man-made fabrics such as polyester or
‘A moisture-wicking fabric helps to keep the skin dry and comfortable’
‘Grass can be one of the best surfaces for bodyweight plyometric-style movements. The soft, absorbent nature reduces the impact when landing. However, with the increased rainfall in autumn and at times, harder ground, it’s best to only conduct exercises that offer less room for slipping. Laying a towel down is a good foundation to place your hands when conducting exercises such as burpees. As the friction on grass is reduced it also makes it a great surface to perform walking lunges, which when paired with some bodyweight plyometric exercises can get pretty spicy.’
TRY THESE:
1. Burpees 2. Walking lunges 3. Lateral skaters