Is it Really Winter?
This entry was posted on 1/9/2012 7:41 PM and is filed under uncategorized.
It's Winter...but it doesn't feel like it...! here in Michigan, we are seeing unusually warm weather for this time of year...as a matter of fact, we have only seen a couple days of snow..the ground is dry and the grass looks confused!
Days like these make it very tempting to get outside and run, jump, play and act like it is spring...but before you do, let's think about a couple things...
Number one...it is not really that warm out...and just because it LOOKS warm, that doesn't mean you're body wants to act like it's warm. When the air temp is around 35-40 degrees, even if it is sunny, it acts like an ice pack...it restricts blood flow and constricts blood vessels, which can lead to limited mobility and reduced range of motion on initial movement. In other words, your body is going to act like it is being cooled down with an ice pack, so you have to EASE into your activity...an extra couple minutes of light activity can make a big difference here. Ask anyone who has experienced a career ending achilles tendon tear in cold weather...
Number two: your body will lose heat faster in cold weather. While that may not be a bad thing, it does mean that you have to pay attention to your fluids. Drink a little more than you would if you were working out indoors...you may not feel like you are sweating as much, but you lose a lot of heat through respiration...it all adds up!
Number three: Combine active movements with active recovery...stopping to catch your breath or sitting down causes a rapid pooling of blood back to the abdominal cavity, which may signal to your body that you are done exercising...getting back up and moving around could cause a drop in blood pressure and surface temp resulting in lightheadedness, dizziness, light sensitivity.
Those are the three big ones to think about...when we get some snow, we'll open up another thread altogether...! Get out and keep working on those goals!
