Baby, it’s cold outside, isn’t it? And, when it’s cold outside, I don’t always feel like going out and exercising. When it’s dark, rainy, and wet, I know what’s coming: me being cold and wet. To stay healthy and fit, I still exercise outside all winter but it’s hard! Here’s how I get out the door – either running or walking – all winter long.
Stay Healthy and Fit by Exercising Outside All Winter
- Get it set: Get workout clothes ready the night before and put them on first thing in the morning. When the alarm goes off, get going on the walk, run, yoga class or hula hooping before any excuses arise. If my workout routine gets done in the morning, I do it. Later in the day, I have too many excuses.
- Get a partner: Working out with a partner, friend, or group means you’re less likely to skip. When someone is waiting, don’t let them down. Grab your workout gear and go. When my Wednesday morning walking crew shows up at our scheduled time, I know they’re expecting me to be there. We love to catch up with each other on our weekly walks! We use walking sticks and they’re super easy to make.
- Eat real food: By keeping healthy, whole foods on hand, when hunger strikes, junk food isn’t an option. Keep containers of crunchy carrots and fresh celery around so there’s something to munch. I have all the will power in the world, as long as it’s not in my house. I don’t buy what I don’t want to eat – or have my family eat.
- Make a plan: Weekly meal planning (here are 11 reasons to meal plan) gives a guideline for what healthy meals are getting cooked – and what healthy foods need to bought at the farmer’s market or grocery store. Evenings go smoother if I know what we’re having for dinner. If we have a plan, we eat healthier at home – skipping fast food restaurants. Added bonus? Cook extra and enjoy a healthy, tasty lunch the next day.
- Hang it up: We have a laundry room sink where all the wet, muddy running and walking gear gets hung above. Wet workout clothes need to drip and sometimes, the gear is sopping wet! I keep hangers for the dirty and wet workout gear to hang on because when it’s dry, it can get worn again. No need to wash workout gear after one wear. Once a week washing or perhaps if it’s really smelly (and I mean really) otherwise it gets worn again.
- Don’t buy expensive workout attire: Nothing is water proof (ok, except perhaps rubberized canvas but it’s difficult to run in!) so don’t spend money on expensive workout attire. My running and walking gear is mostly second-hand and works great! Whatever you wear outside will get wet so plan to hang it up. Embrace the rain or snow but do wear a baseball cap. Water hitting my face can drives me nuts so a cap it is.
Keep working out in this winter. It will feel so good when it’s done, I promise!
What does your winter workout routine consist of? What’s your least favorite winter weather?
Go Gingham 
Well, I joined a gym in the fall. It’s the first time I’ve ever paid money to belong to a gym, but I was struggling with motivation doing my usual fitness routine and the weather was getting worse, so I decided to do it. Up until now, we have had a lot of weather that I hate–cold, rainy, icy, foggy–and outdoor exercise in our neck of the woods is difficult (and sometimes dangerous), to say the least, when it’s like that. Today we are getting a snowstorm so I will get a workout shoveling! We like to snowshoe and that’s great cardio exercise. I will probably drop the gym in the spring but for now, it’s been good for me.
I know I’m an oddball, but I find it easier to keep a healthier eating routine in January–autumn into December feels like a feeding frenzy to me, and while I try to be mindful of what I eat, I refuse to deny myself my Christmas morning cinnamon roll. 🙂 By January, we are done with “eating holidays” including birthdays and I can concentrate on making healthy soups.
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Kris, I don’t think you’re an oddball at all – it IS easier to eat healthier once the holidays are behind us. I’m with you on the cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, too. Although, I will admit that I only eat the cinnamon rolls I’ve made because I know what’s in them!
Weather can be tricky when it involves ice. That’s the only type of weather that sidelines me because I don’t want to slip and fall! Last week, during our once a year snow/ice storm, my daughter and I used her cross country running spikes to get around – grocery store and exercising. It made a huge difference! We were the only ones not slipping and sliding and we got a great workout carrying groceries home after stocking up.
Hope you enjoyed the holidays and birthday season!! 🙂
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I was sure happy to read #5 Hang It Up. As avid runners and full-time travelers, we have learned to wash things only when they are dirty or smelly. Some places we stay don’t have a washer/dryer and with our clothing being limited, we have had to learn new ways. We hand wash things like running socks and jog bras in between laundry days. All other workout clothing gets the “sniff test” before being hand washed or thrown in the laundry pile. I now wonder why I didn’t do this before traveling full-time. It seems crazy that I put on a freshly laundered shirt to go run instead of wearing an already-worn-but-not-too-stinky shirt.
Thanks for the awesome posts. I really enjoy your blog!
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Nikki, thanks for the comment and for writing in!
I had to laugh at your terms – “sniff test” and “jog bras” because we use those exact terms here, too. Now, my teenage daughter does make fun of me whenever I say “jog bra” but I always tell her – that’s what we called them back in the day and I still do! 🙂
Glad you’re enjoying GG and keep up the good work – traveling and doing less laundry.
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My daughter laughs at “jog bra” too. She uses “sports bra.” Even better though is my mothers generation’s term of “jock bra.” I think that was the original term. When I asked an older runner what they called the bras before that, she replied “nonexistent.” Most people, and very few women, ran for exercise before the 1960’s. There weren’t any bras for running. She reminded me that women were barred from the Boston marathon until 1972.
So if your daughter makes fun of the term “jog bra,” do like I do and threaten to use the term “jock bra!”
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