Cold Air Exercise

By: Dana Neer

Senior year, winter of 1981.  January winds wickedly blew across northern Indiana and by the time I scheduled my training run at 6:00 p.m. darkness had crept in, plummeting temperatures to single digits.  Home was warm and cozy.  The tundra foreboding and unforgiving.  Simply taking one step outside hurt my lungs, so how was I realistically going to accomplish a 4 mile workout in these extreme conditions?  Breathing that night was a difficult chore and breathing outside this winter may also produce pain in our lungs and chests.  What are we suppose to do?  Must we wait for April to get serious about fitness?  Here are a few helpful tips as you prepare for the winter season. 

1. Acclimate – We have enjoyed one of the most pleasant autumns in recent memory, but all Hoosiers know, we will probably pay later on.  Gradually introduce cooler air to your body by exercising outside while temperatures wane.  Fresh air is vital to your health even if that air is cold and unfriendly.  A burning sensation in your chest when you inhale cold air is totally normal.  “Your body warms outside air quickly – three inches down into your neck it is already 98.6 degrees – but even that is not fast enough to prevent the sting,” says Daniel Carey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.  The good news is exercising in freezing temperatures has no negative effects on your lungs, according to a study Carey published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  To make it less annoying, he suggests something that we all know to do, pull a neck warmer up over your mouth to warm the air.
2. Predetermine your temperature limits – What is your bottom line temperature for exercising outside?  Many people draw the line at 20 degrees, finding solace in knowing the treadmill is nearby if the thermometer dips into the teens.  Remember, the sun can be very warm even on a cold day.  The wind and ice are vexed enemies compared to cold air.  Windy, icy days are prime moments for treadmill use.  I would suggest mixing up your training by exercising outside half the session and indoors the other half.  Group training can be one of your greatest motivational pieces during the tough months ahead.  Knowing others have expectations of you forces the right decision. 
3. Indoor Exercise - We live in an age of many electric cardio-vascular machines and large buildings like the mall to find refuge when temperatures spiral downward.  During icy conditions a good workout designed to increase the heart rate is difficult to achieve.  Look for resources around you and find a way to accomplish your goal.  For example, roads lined with trees may help break the wind.  Parks may provide an oasis of shelter and a safe place to park your car, gaining access to your engine’s heat any time you may need it.  Our Indiana winters can be harsh at times, but sticking with your fitness plan not only brings physical benefits, but holistic health as well- psychologically, mentally and spiritually.    No one ever regrets completing a workout. However, many people wish they had the discipline and dedication to accomplish a daily routine of exercise.  As an example, during a normal weekly workout plan, I feel great and motivated two or three days, feel decent a few days and feel tired or heavy the rest of the time.  Please remember, no one feels good every day.  Do not think that you happen to be the unlucky recipient of some “bad gene” that causes you to lack motivation.  We all have to make ourselves exercise.  After thirty four straight years of running every day, I struggle too.  Make it happen this winter!