Fall is officially here, and the temperatures will be dropping soon. Once it gets cold outside, it can be easy to want to stay indoors and snuggle up on the couch. But it’s important to keep up with your workout routine to stay happy and healthy. If you’re looking for the best ways to stay active this winter, here are four things you should keep in mind.
1. Wear the Right Workout Gear
Fall and winter fitness gear ought to be well-insulated but also breathable. Consider looking for winter fitness gear on Amazon. Amazon is the leading site for e-commerce and you’ll be hard-pressed not to find something that suits your needs. However, you should keep in mind that when using sites like this, your debit and credit cards are protected from identity theft. Although popular, just recently Amazon had to defend against the largest DDoS attack which had a peak traffic volume of 2.3 Tbps. That said, sites like Amazon can be one of the best places to find a large selection of workout gear designed for low temperatures, and by buying online, you also have the advantage of being able to compare all of your options so that you can choose the best one for you.
2. Wear Lights or Glowing Gear When Jogging
It gets dark much earlier in the fall and winter. By wearing bracelets or anklets that glow, you can be sure that you’re visible to cars. Visibility can be especially important if you are jogging in an area that lacks sidewalks and is poorly lit. With approximately 733 auto-related accidents occurring in the United States every year, you don’t want to take chances and assume that a vehicle can see you.
When a vehicle hits a pedestrian, oftentimes it’s considered negligent driving, and there are two main degrees of this: gross and simple. Simple negligence refers to a situation where the individual simply didn’t exercise the caution necessary for a given situation — such as driving too fast on a snowy road — while gross negligence refers to someone who deliberately neglected safety. Although it would be nice to assume that every driver is going to be driving cautiously, it’s always best to take precautions yourself by always wearing lights and reflecting gear while jogging past dusk.
3. Check the Weather
Before doing any activities outside, you should take care to check the weather to ensure that it is safe. The temperature, along with the wind and moisture, should factor in when deciding how long it will be safe to stay outdoors. Extreme wind chill can also make being outdoors for a long time dangerous, even with warm insulated clothing. This can put you at risk for frostbite, which can occur on exposed skin in less than 30 minutes if the wind chill is below 18 F. If the temperature is below zero or if the wind chill is bad, you should consider moving your fitness routine indoors until the weather improves.
4. Drink Lots of Fluids
While you may think that drinking a lot of water is more important during a hot summer exercise, it is equally important during the winter. Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your exercise, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Even when it’s cold outside, you can become dehydrated from sweating and breathing in the dry winter air. Although frostbite is a large concern to be worried about, dehydration should still be taken seriously.
If you are worried that your fitness routine may not be feasible as the temperatures drop, consider these four tips to ensure that you can still continue your exercise routine safely all winter long.
