The most important aspect of winter workouts is safety.
If you are the kind of person who works out year round, this post is for you. We’ve been talking a bit lately about the cold workout trend, and while there are plenty of benefits to cold workouts, there are drawbacks, too. Winter isn’t over yet, but we still have to find a way to maintain our fitness. For some people this includes outdoor workouts, like running.
As anyone who lives in a cold climate knows, walking on ice is difficult enough, and there is basically no way to do it gracefully. Running or jogging on ice is absolutely out of the question. However, there may be times when you are out running on relatively melted terrain, and come across icy patches.
READ MORE: Five Benefits of Taking Daily Cold Showers
First off, never run or jog over these patches. If you can’t avoid them, obey the following rules to make sure you get past the icy patches in life without sustaining potentially serious injuries.
- Walk like a penguin. I know this sounds funny, but just imagine how they walk as you travel across the ice.
- Keep all your weight on your front foot, and use your arms (outstretched if need be) for balance.
- Walk with your feet flat on the ice, and shuffle forward. If you’ve ever been to the beach in Florida and done the ‘stingray shuffle’ it’s basically the same principle.
- Keep your knees slightly bent, and walk on actual snow, or grass if you can.
- Wear good footwear. Especially during the winter, make sure your shoes have excellent traction and good grip.
When it comes to working out, I am an all seasons kind of athlete. But no matter what season it is, you should always take your safety seriously, and err on the side of caution.