With temperatures starting to drop as the fall rolls on, you may be starting to find it increasingly difficult to keep up with your fitness routine.  If you happen to regularly engage in outdoor activities like jogging or biking, this time of year could be a difficult transition that often causes many to trail off their path.  But this does not have to be the case.  You can overcome the cold-weather exercise slump by knowing how to prepare for outdoor exercise in order to maximize performance and reduce risk, and by trying out some indoor exercise options if you’re not up to braving the cold.  To this end, our Bowie physical therapists have a few suggestions that we’re confident will help you stay fit over the next few months.

If you are unfazed by the frigid winter conditions and don’t mind making a few modifications before walking out the door, more power to you.  Continuing to exercise outdoors this time of year is great for your health and certainly makes you feel alive!  But it does also require a bit of extra preparation and provisions that will help ensure your safety while minimizing injury risk.  We recommend the following:

• Warm up before going outside: get the blood flowing with some basic exercise or even cleaning indoors so you’re already fairly warm before leaving
• Thoroughly stretch your upper and lower body: this will help loosen tight muscles and warm up muscles by increasing oxygen and blood flow
• Dress properly: make sure you’re warm enough without sweating too much; dress in layers, wear synthetic, sweat-resistant clothing, as well as gloves and a hat
• Don’t fight the wind: if it’s windy, start your run against it and return with it to your back so it doesn’t make you colder due to sweat
• Shorten your stride: in snow, ice or rain, keep your stride shorter and pay attention to your footing to avoid slipping
• Hydration: even though it’s cold, staying hydrated is still important; if it just snowed, feel free to grab some fresh snow to hydrate
• Cool down: after a run, get inside right away and take off your wet clothes; then walk around the house to cool down and avoid injury or soreness

Our Bowie physical therapists top indoor exercise alternatives

But the truth is that not everyone is willing to tack on layers and deal with the discomfort of being in the elements, and that’s completely understandable, too.  If exercising in cold weather just isn’t your thing, then your best bet to keep activity levels up is to give a few indoor exercises a try to find one—or several—that work for you.  Here are some of our Bowie physical therapists’ favorite options:

• Indoor cycling: great high-intensity replacement for running that targets the quadriceps; can be performed on a road bike placed on a training stand, a stationary bike, or in a spinning class
• Swimming: non-weight-bearing and therefore ideal for anyone that’s injured or sore; targets all major muscle groups (quadriceps, abs, hamstrings, back, etc.)
• Pool running: or “deep-water running,” this performance cross-training takes pool activity to more intense level; usually performed with an AquaJogger or similar floatation belt for the deeper water
• Indoor rowing: another high-intensity low-impact replacement exercise; strengthens the quads, hips, and upper body
• Elliptical machine: engages the same muscles as running without the impact of a treadmill; great for core strength; workouts should follow a similar pace and distance to running routines; use the arm levers to maximize your exertion
• Plyometrics: high-intensity, explosive exercises (jumping, bounding, hopping drills); great for strength, speed and range of motion
• Fitness boot camp: high-intensity exercises fashioned after military boot camp; designed to build strength and overall fitness

Despite how it may feel at times, is in fact possible to keep active during the coldest months of the year that await, and all that’s needed is some additional planning and/or taking on some new exercise pursuits when the weather gets in the way.  For those of you with any other questions on cold-weather exercise, or if you’re dealing with any exercise-related pain, our Bowie physical therapists can help.  Contact CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services at 301-453-7598 to schedule an appointment at any of our four clinics in Glenn Dale/Bowie, Laurel, Hyattsville, or Silver Spring, MD, or click here for more information on cold weather exercise.