Bundle Up For Winter Fitness
By Elizabeth Westby
 Members of the Georgia State University track team brave the cold weather to do stretching exercises before their run in Piedmont Park. From left, Kendra Davis, Cherell Lawson and Chirs Lafleur. (Photo by Brent Sturgis)
For all but the most motivated Atlantans, the arrival of winter means the demise of our fitness regimens. We wake up, it’s still dark. We come home from work, it’s already dark. And it’s cold on both ends. Of course the overwhelming urge is to curl up, not do curls.
So, how to get through the winter without looking like one big fat New Year’s resolution? It starts in your head.
Mind Games
Any physical exercise is preceded by a mental one, and the harsher the elements, the harder we must fight. These three steps will fool you out of hibernation.
1. Aim low.
Cliff Boyce, owner of Hollywood Fitness and personal trainer of Atlanta R&B guru Usher, says people avoid setting fitness goals because they think they’ll fail. “Don’t be afraid of a challenge,” he counsels. But unless you’re training for a specific event, it’s acceptable to adopt a maintenance plan to get you through the roughest weeks. The key word is “aim.” If you’re going to reduce your five-day-a-week program to three days, do so consciously, and don’t miss a workout.
2. Map it out.
From the playbook of Jim Whitlow of Buckhead, who trains for marathons on top of 50-hour workweeks: Plot out each week’s workouts on Sunday night – not just what but also when and where – and treat them like nonnegotiable appointments. Check weather forecasts if you’re planning to exercise outside. “I can always tell you what next week’s weather is,” says Whitlow.
3. Execute.
Know your mind and adjust habits accordingly. For morning workouts, Whitlow sets his alarm clock on the far side of the room so he can’t hit the snooze button. You might try laying out exercise clothes before you go to sleep – or even sleeping in them! If you’re likely to crash once you get home from work, stop at the gym before you go home. Try setting a date with a buddy to encourage accountability. In short, do what it takes to get moving.
Outdoor Safety
You’re mobilized, now what? For starters, long runs and bike rides are best saved for the weekend, when you’re not contending with darkness or heavy traffic. If you must jog during twilight hours, mind the Atlanta Track Club’s “Rules of the Road.”
1. Run facing traffic.
2. Never wear headphones.
3. Wear light-colored clothing and a reflective vest.
4. Carry ID.
5. Let family know route.
6. Use pedestrian crossings.
7. Use sidewalks when possible.
8. Vary your route and run in familiar neighborhoods.
Atlanta’s unpredictable weather calls for flexibility in how you dress. Wear layers, with breathable material close to your skin and a wind-and rain-resistant layer on the outside. Your body temperature will rise as you exercise, so prepare yourself for weather 10 degrees warmer than it is.
It’s also important to drink water at the end of your workout, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Dry winter air and indoor heating contribute to dehydration.
Finally, give yourself time to warm up, cool down and stretch, as muscles and tendons contract when it’s cold. Hollywood Fitness’ Boyce recommends stretching for five to 10 minutes before working out and 20 minutes after.
Indoor Workouts
If the weather looks unfriendly and you’re not up for the gym, try working out at home with short-burst exercises (such as jump-rope reps) that don’t require much space. As Dan MacDougald, owner of CrossFit Atlanta, would tell you, short-burst activity may be more effective than sustained cardio – and it’s certainly more fitting for your basement.
CrossFit is a fitness philosophy that relies on functional movements (ones that imitate a movement in life, work or sports, like squats) and short, intense cardio activity to achieve maximum fitness. Intensity may be hard to come by when exercising at home, but it means a shorter workout. In fact, MacDougald shared a sample workout for beginners consisting of 10 minutes of as many rounds as possible of five push-ups, 10 sit-ups, and 15 squats. Visit www.crossfitatlanta.typepad.com to see more workouts.
If you desire a longer session and have access to cardio machines at home or at the gym, bear in mind two caveats from Robert Barrieau, general manager of Body of Change and certified personal trainer (CPT): First, if you never reach your target heart rate (65 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate), you can spend all day on a machine without getting results. Second and in turn, machines that don’t measure heart rate offer, in his words, “at best, an uneducated guess” as to how many calories you’ve burned. Their estimates are likely to be 20 to 30 percent off. Be wary of any machine that gives you good numbers without making you feel tired.
Good luck staying in shape, Atlanta. Rest assured March will be here soon, and you’ll have about three months before it’s time to hide inside again – this time from the heat.
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