Your 2024 health goals don’t have to stop when it’s cold outside.
“In addition to the physical health benefits of outdoor exercise, especially in the winter, it can help with things like reducing stress, anxiety, and depression,” says Dr. Michael Tiso, a sports medicine specialist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. ” Which we often see at higher levels during the winter months.
Sports physiologist Michael Tiso says exercising 12 months a year should be part of your lifestyle, not a burden.
To exercise safely in the cold, Tiso also recommends dressing for the temperature and your activity. But it is important to do it in stages.
“This would start with a synthetic base layer, fleece in between, and an insulated outdoor jacket or a combination of a warm, thick coat and a raincoat. The raincoat helps protect from rain and wind, and “the thick interior of the jacket gives you Helps keep warm from inside,” said the sports medicine specialist.
Stay away from cotton clothes.
Tiso says the material traps moisture close to the skin.
If it’s really cold outside, she suggests covering parts of the body that are vulnerable to frostbite, like fingers.
Before exercising, do a brief warm-up for five to 10 minutes to get the blood flowing to your muscles.
“After you finish exercising, it may help to do a brief cool-down, and then post-exercise stretching may be more effective than before,” Dr. Tiso said.
Finally, keep an eye on your sun exposure, you can still get sunburn in winter, especially if it reflects off the snow.
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