How to keep exercising in the cold weather

[BoneyEmm]

Hi

I'm quite overweight and unfit. Have made a real effort to tackle this recently with getting outdoors, walking and cycling.

I'm already wondering how to carry this on in winter. I only have evenings free to exercise.

I like doing solitary exercise where I can pop my earbuds in and listen to a podcast or music.

Any ideas for when the paths get muddy/icy and it's too dark for walking and cycling? What else would suit me?

[MsMartini]

It is tricky - by definition, if you only exercise in the evenings, it will always be dark in winter. I run and walk in the dark locally, when I can, but it depends where you live. If you like strength (bodyweight) training and have a common nearby that is lit and safe, you could try that (push ups off park benches etc).

But tbh, I would go for something like a Les Mills On Demand subscription to do at home for the winter months. Huge range of classes (combat, body balance, dance, hiit, really good core programme, loads of stuff), high quality, little or no kit needed, some as short as 20 minutes. Exercise outdoors when you can but that done regularly could help you really build fitness and strength over the winter, then cancel when the hour changes. There is loads available free online but I found that one the best in lockdowns, and found it easier to stick to one programme. Caroline Girvan is also recommended on here for strength, and I like Lottie Murphy for Pilates.

[shamoola]

I do exactly the same running in winter as in summer just wear warmer reflective clothes. The weather is only so bad that makes running impossible a couple of days a year.

I don't wear headphones but if I were you I'd get bone conducting ones so you can hear your surroundings.

[lljkk]

I would walk after dark.
Anyway, spin classes, swimming, home workouts : all possible, too

[fellrunner85]

Just carry on running on winter? Most people do, you know. If anything, more people run in winter than in summer, as winter is training time for the big spring marathons. Just wear reflective kit.

[Gottoomuchgoingon]

I agree with the Les Mills on demand idea. There are so many different types of exercises on there. I do it whenever I have time. You can choose whatever time you have. I get up earlier and do it while everyone is still in bed. I've been known to do it lunch time as I wfh
Body combat and pump are my favourites

[jeffersonsam]

I likes to do workout in cold weather, I usually wear jacket to keeps my body warm. I also wear shoe, glows and gap. I also drink hot water before start my workout.

[emmathedilemma]

Buy some thermals, a waterproof and a headtorch and keep going! Or the gym if it's really bad weather.

[MarshaBradyo]

I love cold weather exercise but ran through London, loads of people and didn’t feel unsafe

My preference is to keep going but I don’t know what your area is like

[ReviewingTheSituation]

Just wear more clothes. No other changes needed. It's dark at 4.30, so it will still be afternoon and dark. I just get out and do it. It's a great way to get fresh air when you might not really feel like it (but you always feel better afterwards).

You might have to find some less muddy routes if you're currently in fields etc - there are a few months where they become more challenging. Although plenty of people do just put appropriate shoes on and go for it. Ice isn't actually a problem that much of the time - yes, there are some days when it's a bit icy, but they are actually few and far between. And less so in the afternoons than the mornings.

PLEASE do wear hi-vis tops though. People out in the dark, wearing black, are a nightmare. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to be seen. Headtorches are useful too, but less necessary in town.

[JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon]

Run on roads that have pavements and streetlights or in parks rather than going completely off piste. Make sure you wear hi-viz, reflectives and LED lights so you are visible. Don't wear ear buds in both ears. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. Keep your wits about you.

[Zazdar]

Any ideas for when the paths get muddy/icy and it's too dark for walking and cycling?

I carry on running through the winter but I avoid routes that I know from experience will be muddy or I run on the road if it has been really wet or snowy. As others have said, wear high viz and keep to the right hand side of the road facing traffic. I listen to podcasts but keep the volume down and only wear one ear bud.

[Spudlet]

Embrace the weather, once you get to a certain point you just don’t get any wetter but as long as you can keep moving you stay warm. Make sure someone knows where you’re going and when you’ll be back. You’ll soon learn which routes remain passable and which get a bit much. Never worry about walking if you need to pick your way through a really muddy or flooded bit! Invest in a really good head torch (Petzl make good ones), and make sure it’s charged. Decent gloves are also important. Don’t worry too much about wet feet though as they stay warm as long as you stay moving IME (and I do have Reynauds, although fortunately for me fairly mildly).

Winter running is officially 50% more hardcore than summer and so you can bask in the knowledge that you are absolute nails 😆

[BogRollBOGOF]

It's very rarely too icy to run. If it is frozen then gritty paths are best. Better still is when the mud freezes up and the fields get more accessible again.

Layer up and use hi-viz/ reflective/ LEDs and a torch if neccessary.

Decathlon are fantastic for good value winter kit.

I got my HM pb in -1⁰C to 2⁰C, much easier than that races usual summer temperatures where it's often 24⁰C+

[MsMartini]

It is great to hear of all these positive running experiences.

Even tho below I recommended indoor alternatives, I have run throughout the winter the last few years. I have decent kit and wrap up, but I still feel the cold (am a slow runner and in my 50s) and I have to run home-to-home. The rest of the year, I run to the shops, to meet a friend for coffee, etc, which makes it much easier to fit runs in with everyday life. And I get bored in winter with the same routes (the safe ones that are the right length near my house). Rest of the year I can hop on a bus or train home.

[chipsandpeas]

i like all you people saying its not really too icy to go running, you dont know where the OP is
where i am and where i walk the dogs, it can be icy for days on these paths and im only in central scotland

[actiongirl1978]

Buy a head torch.

A really bright one. I live in the middle of nowhere and run around fields in the dark. It's fab once you get over the initial shock of seeing a field of sheep's eyes reflected back at you!

[EmmaStone]

I live rurally and wouldn't run in the dark (although DH does, he just goes hi via and head torch). However, I'm also not committed to outdoor exercise (although I do run a bit, and walk a lot, I just keep it for daytimes - weekends or lunchtimes if I'm WFH).

If you're considering other exercise, the world is your oyster! Lots and lots of online content, but I'd also suggest going to an actual class - it's easier to do it if you have a fixed commitment (especially if you rope in a friend), you can have your form checked to minimise risk of injury, it's more fun with other people.

Personally, I do a bit of everything (but also lucky that we've got a spin bike and a treadmill in the garage). I've got a Peloton digital membership which gives me access to a seemingly infinite number of classes - spin, tread, strength, yoga, barre, pilates etc etc, I definitely use it more in the winter. I also go to a yoga class at least weekly, and walk with friends frequently (well, not Covid frequent, but we try to get together weekly in some form or other). Oh and I see a PT fortnightly - knowing I've got a session keeps me training in between, otherwise I'm wasting my money, both our time, and I'll be really really stiff after a session with him 😂.

[trailrunner85]

i like all you people saying its not really too icy to go running, you dont know where the OP is where i am and where i walk the dogs, it can be icy for days on these paths

Yes, that's the point though. If roads and paths are too icy, you go off road onto gritty trails/mud/grass. Appreciate that might not be possible if you live in the centre of a city with no parks, fields or trails nearby.
It's very rare that it's too icy to run at all.

[LaPufalina]

Interesting! I put on a stone over winter most years because of the lack of exercise and then spend summer losing it I was thinking of investing in a treadmill. I've got young kids (one can't cycle yet) so it would work well when they're in bed.

[alwaysmovingforwards]

@fellrunner85

Just carry on running on winter? Most people do, you know. If anything, more people run in winter than in summer, as winter is training time for the big spring marathons. Just wear reflective kit.

Yup. I actually prefer it in the winter - find it easier to get warm in cold weather. Running in the summer is bloody hard work and impossible to keep cool.

[BoneyEmm]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.
I'm not a runner atm, although when I used to run I definitely preferred winter when it was cold and dark!

I don't really enjoy running though, maybe I should try and pick it up again in time for winter.