One of Nancy Lavender's favorite workouts is taking her dog for a run or walk on a trail near her home in Clive.
She enjoys it so much and so does her dog that she goes at least every other day. Part of the appeal is convenience.
"I can go right out the door instead of driving to the gym, which takes 10 or 15 minutes," Lavender says. "It's much more fun to be able to go out and enjoy the fresh air and the outdoors and not have to stay indoors."
She doesn't let chilly or even sub-zero temperatures keep her inside. She has learned that with a little preparation and a few precautions, she can continue her regimen straight through the winter, without disappointing her eager pet by retreating to a treadmill.
Dr. David Stilley of DoctorsNow Walk-In Care in West Des Moines says there is no need for athletes to resort to an indoor gym when there are beautiful winter trails to be seen.
"I would much rather be breathing outdoor air than indoor air on any given day," Stilley says.
Here are eight tips to follow when exercising in the cold.
Do warm-up exercises. Stretch or walk on a treadmill for about five minutes before heading outside on a cold day. "Muscles that are cold and stiff are more prone to injury than muscles that are warmed up," Stilley says.
Dress in light layers. Lavender says peeling off or adding a layer makes it easier to regulate her body temperature and keep her from getting too sweaty. Sweat-soaked clothes can freeze on winter days, causing your body temperature to drop too low.
Personal Trainer Demathdian Tate of Aspen Athletic Club in Clive agrees that dressing in layers is the No. 1 one way to prepare for an outdoor workout in chilly weather.
"A lot of people want to wear big bulky jackets," Tate says. "But it's best to wear two or three layers to keep the body temperature warmer."
Wear sunscreen on exposed skin. Stilley says faces and ears can still suffer sun damage during the winter.
Wear a hat. It helps prevent heat from escaping from the head. Tate suggests that athletes keep all their extremities covered to avoid frostbite on the most vulnerable areas of the body. Wear gloves, extra-thick socks and earmuffs, he says.
Stay hydrated. This is important no matter the temperature. Tate says he recommends drinking even more fluids when exercising during the winter.
"In the cold weather, your body has to work extra hard to keep your body temperature up so you need to drink more," he says.
Watch for signs of frostbite. The first indicator is an area of painful skin or if pink skin changes color to blue or white, which suggests it's getting frozen.
"If an area hurts like crazy at first, and then the pain stops, that suggests you're in the frostbite category," Stilley says. "You should move into a warm building."
Alter your footwear. When it gets really cold, Lavender wears waterproof tennis shoes because they are warmer compared to mesh running shoes that are intended to breathe. She also takes caution when running on ice and snow by wearing ice joggers, which are tennis shoes with spikes on the bottom.
Take extra precautions on days of extreme cold. That means when the temperature is 20 or 30 degrees below freezing or during cold- weather advisories.
But even in such extreme temperatures, an outdoor workout is safe for well-conditioned athletes if they stay out for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, Stilley says. The key is to use the buddy system and exercise with a friend in case of injuries, especially if the trail is away from public areas.
Lavender says it's hardly ever too cold for her to continue her workouts; she just wears warmer and heavier layers when she needs them.
"If you continue to exercise outdoors as the seasons change, it's really not bad," she says. "It's mental as much as it is physical. You have to psych yourself out that you can do it. Once you get going, it's fine."
