Winter Workout Safety Tips
How Cold is Too Cold?
-- By Jason Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer
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For many of us, we are entering the coolest—okay coldest—time of the year. If you enjoy exercising outside, then the bitter cold of winter can be more than just an inconvenience. And no, the alternative doesn't have to mean hibernating for a few months, only to resurface with the buttercups in spring. By taking a few special precautions, and monitoring winter weather and conditions, it can be completely safe—and even enjoyable—to work out in the wintry outdoors.
Chances are you've heard the nightmarish stories of some climbers battling Mt. Everest or someone missing in the forest and their struggle with hypothermia. But it is important to know that hypothermia can happen outside of mountain ranges and national forests. It awaits every ill-prepared outdoor exerciser who dares to venture out when temperatures and conditions shout to us to stay inside.
Hypothermia, basically, is dangerously-low body temperature—below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a condition that occurs when your body loses more heat than it can generate in return. It is typically caused by extended exposure to the cold and can be brought on by being outside in winter without enough protective clothing or wearing wet (even sweaty) clothing in windy or cold weather.
