It may be hard on the will power, but winter is actually a good time to exercise as the cold weather keeps your core temperature down, meaning your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.
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But because of the cold, the winter months can also bring more injuries.
It’s important to warm up and cool down after exercise regardless of age, with warm muscle fibre helping alleviate the risk of injury.
Chodat Fitness director Lukas Chodat says common injuries include strained calf muscles, grade one tears in the calf, strained hamstrings and lower back stiffness and tightening up.
‘‘I find the warm-up equally as critical as the cool down,’’ Chodat says.
‘‘And keeping the muscles warm after a workout is paramount.’’
A warm-up can include up to eight minutes of jogging and stretches with specific movements such as squats, push-ups and crunches.
And there’s no harm in turning on the heater in the car if driving to an outdoor workout.
In the gym, the rowing machine and bike are good ways to warm up before a session.
‘‘Anything that incorporates large groups of muscles but that’s not intense’’ is ideal, Chodat says.
Wearing layers, including gloves or beanies if need be, and keeping the fluid intake up are also important things to remember when exercising through winter.
However, those prone to breathing difficulties or asthma should check with their doctor.
‘‘Winter’s a really good time to exercise because of the weather;
it keeps your core temperature down and your heart doesn’t have to work as hard,’’ Chodat says.
‘‘It’s important to have layers and strip off when you need to.’’
The Illawarra’s temperate climate makes it ideal to exercise all year.
‘‘It’s phenomenal, we’re very lucky,’’ Chodat says.
‘‘That’s why there’s so much outdoor training here. I’ve worked in London and Berlin and it’s definitely colder there.’’
A cool down can be as simple as a jog and walk for about 10 minutes after exercising to lessen the build-up of lactic acid.
Chodat says those who exercise three times a week would also benefit from a deep tissue massage once a month.
‘‘Otherwise the [muscle] fibres get tighter and tighter,’’ he says.
Foam rollers and weekly yoga sessions are also ways to get the body prepared for the next round.
And for the seriously fit, ice baths are still a goer regardless of the weather to open up capillaries in the legs and generate blood flow.
Sports Medicine Australia says hospital data shows an increase of more than 30per cent for sporting injuries during winter.
