Winter Survival Tips for Outdoor Fitness

Winter Survival Tips for Outdoor Bootcamps and fitness Classes

With the winter fast approaching we thought it would be beneficial to put together a survival guide so you can continue to enjoy your classes and be ready for best season for training!!

Here is a winter survival top tip guide for boot camp classes; (We have used our own knowledge and experience as well a resources from third parties which have been referenced)

Realising the health benefits of exercise during winter:

Staying cooped up indoors all winter isn’t beneficial for your health and can leave you more exposed to illnesses doing the winter rounds. Getting out and about gives you a chance to breathe fresh air, to see new and varied sights (beats cabin fever), and gives you a sound mind and body workout.
If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), getting outside and exercising will help to alleviate the symptoms by introducing more daylight to your system and by involving you in activities that are fun and exciting.
For those trying to keep their weight under control, exercising in the cold burns more calories because you need to move faster and constantly to remain warm; as well, many winter sports require you to tackle different terrain, including snow.
Exercise can help keep colds and flus at bay, provided you don’t overdo it.

Skincare and Clothing

Gear up for the running. If you can, apply moisturiser on your skin to keep itching and dryness away. Invest in a good ski-mask or hoodie that will protect your neck, head and face from bitter wind. Pull a knit or fleece cap over your ears and wrap a scarf around your neck and mouth if you don’t have a ski mask.
Find a lightweight but warm winter jacket for you to wear. These are usually fleece. Gear up under it with a t shirt (long sleeved or short sleeved) and a sweatshirt. If you are too warm will cause you to sweat after a few seconds of running.
Wear leggings and sweatpants, or long underwear and sweatpants.
Wear running shoes that have decent traction, so you can maintain grip on icy or snowy surfaces. Trail-running shoes work very well. If there is too much snow, try lightweight boots that bend with you but wick off snow and moisture. Our recommendations are some of the following: Solomon, New Balance, Inov8 and Brooks are worth looking. There are many other options from cheaper to more expensive. The main thing is your find a pair that are comfy, have good ankle support and excellent grip.
Remove sock liners and wet laces and hang them up so the sneakers can dry more quickly.
Stuff shoes with wadded newspaper to soak up the stink and moisture.
Place them in a warm, dry spot but not too close to theradiator: Heat breaks down the foam and rubber in sneakers.
Tip: Spraying your trainers with a waterproofing solution can help them withstand the wet better,

Protect your car

The likelihood is that you will be getting mucky! To protect your car we recommend car covers or bin bags. You can get 10 seat shaped car covers for £2.75 on the following link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/AllTrade-Direct-Premium-Disposable-Protective/dp/B00M0LPC0U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412678963&sr=8-2&keywords=car+plastic+seat+covers
Bring a spare plastic bag for your dirty trainers and spare pain of trainers/ flip flops/ sandals.

Warm up and cool down

A good warm-up is essential to avoid injury, but it’s particularly important in winter when it can take a little longer for your body to warm up.
Start slowly with some very gentle running or even walking.
Gradually increase your pace until, after around 7-10 minutes, you get to the pace you’re going to maintain for most of the run.
Don’t stop after your warm-up to stretch. Your body will cool down again and you’ll have wasted the time you spent warming it up. If you want to stretch before you start running, you could do some walking lunges or high knee skips.
To cool down, carry on running at an easier pace or walk for five to ten minutes. This will help your body recover after your run.
Stretch well afterwards and where possible in extreme cold weather stretch indoors if needed.

Nutrition

When the temperature drops and winter arrives, it can become tempting to curl up on the couch with your favorite snacks while the kids play outside in the snow. During the winter months it’s important to ensure that everyone in the family continues to eat healthfully. This can be especially tough around the holidays, but by following some simple nutrition tips you can keep your family fit and healthy while boosting your immune systems.
During the cold, winter months, you may feel yourself craving more carbohydrates than usual. There’s a good reason for this: with fewer hours of sunlight, the level of “feel-good” serotonin stored in your brain can become depleted. To compensate for declining serotonin levels, your brain tells your body it needs more, resulting in an increased craving for carbohydrate-loaded comfort foods that boost serotonin production. Your children will probably be feeling the same cravings, so it’s important to help them avoid simple carbohydrates such as sugary snacks and encourage them to eat complex carbohydrates that will take longer to break down and provide a longer, more sustained level of energy. For meal time, think of seasonal foods; good wintertime sources of carbohydrates include pumpkins, squashes and sweet potatoes. Switch from sugar-laden recipes for these vegetables and try soup or casseroles seasoned with dry dressing and dip mix for an unexpected burst of flavour

Vitamin D

Fewer hours of sunlight each day and colder temperatures that keep you indoors can result in your body taking in less vitamin D than it receives during the summer, which is generated in our bodies via sunlight. For this reason, you need to ensure that your family receives enough vitamin D during the winter. Sources of vitamin D include fortified milk and other dairy products, eggs — especially the yolks — and fatty fish such as salmon. However, food alone may not be enough to provide the vitamin D lacking in the winter. One solution might be taking vitamin D supplements to ensure you’re all getting enough. Always speak to your pediatrician before placing children on any supplement, especially vitamin D. Too much vitamin D is also a concern

Boost Your Immunity

There’s no surefire way to prevent catching a cold, but there are some steps you can take to minimize the risk. Vitamin C supplements, for example, have been shown to make colds milder and shorter. Another tip is to eat plenty of probiotics, healthy bacteria that can protect the body from infection. Probiotics are added to some brands of yogurt, a good food to include as a snack or for breakfast, or use it as a healthy base for vegetable dip made with dry dressing and dip mix. Another tip to help moms and kids boost their immune systems is to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C and beta-carotene. These are found in foods such as cabbage, broccoli, citrus fruit, sweet potato and spinach. Increasing your zinc intake can also help you fight off infections. Foods rich in zinc include fish, poultry, eggs, milk and unprocessed grains and cereals

Beware of Overeating

Both adults and kids have a tendency to overeat during the winter, and high-calorie, high-fat diets can have an adverse affect on immune systems. Nutritionists recommend eating no more than 30 percent of your calories as fat year-round, and they advise that the fats you consume should be healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated

Staying Motivated

It’s getting colder and we are losing the light, which doesn’t help the motivation levels for training over winter, right? But if you’re tempted to hit the snooze button in the morning, remember this – staying motivated this winter requires a change to only one thing: your mindset. Sure, the conditions encourage eating more and doing less, but the bedrock of motivation is based on two things. The first is having a goal or target to aim for. The second is clearly understanding the positive effects your actions will have on your life. Connect with these two forces and you will always be inspired.

Train for an event:

There is nothing like having a short-term goal to work towards to keep you focused and on track with your training. The end of winter brings with it a few classic events, such as the body+soul Bridge Run in Sydney. Winter is the perfect time for running training, too, because it’s not too hot.

Set a goal

Not really into running? No problem! Set another goal, such as a few kilos’ weight loss or a five per cent reduction in body fat. Stick a photo of that bikini you want to buy on the fridge. When you see that swimwear, knowing each day that passes brings you closer to hitting the beach this summer, you are going to be keen to close that fridge door and grab the skipping rope instead. There’s nothing like a picture to motivate you. It might not be a bikini; it might be a photo of you in terrific shape or a great outfit you want to wear. Whatever image works for you, stick it up where you’ll see it every day.

Focus on the benefits

The gravitational pull of the bed is very strong at 6am, especially when it is cold and dark outside. That’s why you need to remind yourself of the benefits exercise brings you. You want to manage your stress levels, have an abundance of energy and feel good about yourself rather than falling asleep at your desk, feeling overwhelmed and overweight. So get a piece of paper and write down all the ways exercise adds to the quality of your life. Stick it on the fridge, along with your photo, and read it regularly, particularly when you are feeling flat.

Embrace the weather

Instead of avoiding the cold, embrace it. The famously disciplined Shaolin monks train in any conditions because it builds character. You don’t have to go to the Himalayan mountains, but getting outside for some fresh air and open space will be good for your mind as well as your body. If it rains? You need to toughen up and get wet – It wont hurt you

Reward yourself

When you reach your goal, reward yourself. Not with a big cake, but with something special like a new outfit for your new body. There’s nothing like working towards a goal, achieving it, then splashing out to say: “Well done me”.

Checklist

Scarf, “hoodie”, or ski-mask
Wool hat
T-shirt
long-sleeve shirt
Sweat-shirt.
Sweat-pants
Long underwear
At least two pairs of socks
Running shoes with good grip
Water proof socks
Warm gloves or mittens (You can get ski, Surf, fishing and water proof ones – also with grip)
Car seat protection
MOTIVATION

Winter exercises to burn Cals

Building a fire: 80 calories*

Having a snowball fight: 96

Ice-skating: 176

Shoveling snow: 192

Skiing (cross-country): 256

Skiing (downhill): 192

Sledding: 224

Snowboarding: 192

References

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/motivation/get-started/winter-fitness-workout-tips/#page=9

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/winter-nutrition-tips-24200.html