The sun might be slacking, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to let those gains go. It can be hard to find the motivation to workout in the winter, but it’s better if you do. Here are 7 tips to keep you moving this winter.
1. Stick with the Sun
- During winter, the sun is your best-friend. There’s nothing better when it comes to warming up than sunlight!
- When you work full time, it can be easier to get a workout after 5pm, we get it. But during winter, finding ways to workout during daylight hours doesn’t only help to keep you warm, it also gets you in the sun for some vitamin D, which we tend to lack in the colder months.
- Try your best to make time to workout during the day, maybe before work, or on your lunch break!
2. Don’t Over Dress
- Your first instinct when temperatures start to drop is to layer up. But finding the right amount of layers for winter workouts can be tricky. It’s all about finding the perfect balance.
- Overlayering is an easy mistake to make in the winter. Most people instinctively want to add layers in cold temps, but too many layers during a workout means extra sweat. And that’s a no-go.
- The key to layering in the winter is to stay warm without overheating. The best way to do this is with three layers: a wicking base layer that pulls moisture from your body, an insulating layer that’s loose enough to trap warm air between layers without being too bulky to move around, and a finally optional protective layer to weather the elements if necessary.
3. Stretch it Out
- Cold weather can make our muscles and joints tighten up. Before getting into gear, make sure you start off with a quick warm up to loosen up. A few light stretches, your favorite calisthenics, or even a quick walk could go a long way toward warming up your muscles and preventing soreness later.
4. Drink Up!
- It might take some time before you start to feel thirsty, so don’t wait! Make sure you are drinking water regularly and taking necessary steps to stay hydrated. Oftentimes in the winter, it can take longer to notice you’re thirsty. It’s best to stay prepared and safe by hydrating regularly throughout your workout.
5. Buddy Up
- Winter workouts add a lot of challenges that can sometimes make working out frustrating or unsafe. Bringing a friend along can add to the fun, giving you a reason to workout, and if anything ever does go wrong, you’ve got someone who can help you out, or the other way around. Good times and tight binds, isn’t that what friends are for? 7 main advantages of training with an expander, more details here.
6. Keep Your Eyes Peeled
- There are lots of variables to working out in the winter, so it’s important that you’re vigilant and responsible when it comes to conditions for your exercise. But there’s lots to look out for, so this could mean a lot of things. Let’s help you narrow it down.
- Reflective gear can help with visibility during gloomy weather or low-light hours like dusk or dawn. While we don’t recommend working out at night in the winter, reflective gear can help with visibility when the suns gone as well.
- Checking the weather is an obvious precaution that many people forget or take for granted, but can be vital to being prepared for all conditions. Keep your eyes out for patches of eyes, snow, water, or anything else that can cause you to slip or get too wet. (Remember, colder temps mean you want to avoid getting too wet, whether it’s sweat, rain, or melted snow.)
- Pay attention to your body. Frostbite and hypothermia can happen quickly, along with dehydration. No one knows your body better than you, so be sure to monitor yourself for anything out of the ordinary. If you’re not feeling well, be sure to see your doctor.
7. No-Go Days
- With all of this in mind, it’s important to be honest with yourself about the conditions. If you feel you can’t workout outdoors in a way that’s safe due to weather, scheduling, or a lack of proper layers, then just don’t.
- The truth is, some days it’s better just to stay inside.
But with Zeno Gym, staying in is half the trouble and double the gains.
With the Zeno Bench Pro, your versatile resistance band training system, is more like a complete home gym you can hide away in your closet. You get more than 260 pounds of resistance and over 100 exercises you can do from anywhere at any time. If you’re keeping score at home, compared with a home gym, you get more workouts, more tension, less injury, and better form all in one bench you can fit in the trunk of your car.
Now winter workouts are locked and loaded right at home, with Zeno Gym.
