What's too cold for outdoor fitness?

owlprincess1234

It's going to be between -40 and -46 celcious tonight with the windchill!!!

What's the coldest you'd venture outside for some fitness?

I'm going to be staying in with some youtubed workout videos.

misskris78

I don't run if it's colder than 15F, but I have XCountry and downhill skied in below 0F weather.

dbanks80

I do not run outside from Dec-Feb. Yes I am a wuss!!

meritage4

Depends on your level of exertion. You can certainly walk in that weather. Heavy exerti0n can damage your lungs.

scorpio516

No such thing as too cold, just wrong clothes. But I wuss out at about - 10f, - 15f windchill. Don't have that many clothes

Rocknut53

I will downhill ski at -15F, only because I don't sweat much. My hiking comes to an abrupt halt at 0. And the cold doesn't harm your lungs...a myth.

JenHuedy

Cold doesn't bother me much. It's the wind that does me in. My unofficial cutoff is if the temperature is less than the wind speed. Today was 7F, but the wind was only 3mph, and the sun was shining so it was a pretty pleasant 7 mile run. Especially since earlier this week the highs were in the teens, but winds in the 20+mph range so was stuck with the treadmill.

julie_broadhead

The Army draws the line at -20 for outdoor PT. The schools here in Fairbanks also say anything lower than -20 is too cold for recess.

Jruzer

Our schools here say -20 F with windchill is enough to cancel class. We get that cold maybe once a year.

I found this guide from OSHA that says that outdoor work should cease about in the temperature range you're talking about:
https://www.osha.gov/dts/weather/winter_weather/windchill.html

CassidyScaglione

lol. today. today is too cold. I have wimped out as well.

ForecasterJason

Same where I am. Air temperatures were in the 20s F, but winds were around 25-40 mph so wind chills in the single digits.

MNLittleFinn

I go walking 1-3 mies when it's -10, and I get hot. My parka is rated to -30

lemurcat12

So far I'm good at 10 F with -5 F windchill. I've wimped out when it's colder than that so far, but I am open-minded to trying it. What is a bigger issue for me is slick ground or icy rain. This is running. For walking I have to deal with whatever I get, since I do some walking for my commute and errands, and for biking I'm a total wimp and don't go if it's below about 45 (I bike indoors instead). I'm going to try to build up my toughness for biking next winter.

rileysowner

I have went for several Km snowshoeing or x-country skiing at -30C. I just had to dress appropriately. Good outdoor wear that not only has sufficient insulation, but has a shell that stopped the wind is a must. Once I get going the heat my body produces keeps me plenty warm. The only downside is when I stop in temperatures like that, I start to get cold quite quickly and it is harder to warm up again. The solution is to keep going until I have made the whole circuit and am back to my vehicle.

allaboutthecake

Have shoveled deep snow in -35 frigid cold. Then I built giant snowmen. Worked up a sweat. But I was REAL close to the front door of a toasty warm house! lol

Gisel2015

I don't exercise outside if it is below 55F. Yes, I am a big wuss but I live in Southern CA, and temperatures below 60 are cold for me. On the other hand, I can take much warmest temperature than many of you. This is a big and wide country.

CipherZero

Gone for hikes at 0F through 110F. With the right gear and preparation there's not a lot of limits at either end of the spectrum.

corgicake

The last time it got like that here, I wore a winter coat with wool military surplus pants, windbreaker pants over those, bunny boots (as in those white rubber horrors - they do work!), and wind resistant stuff for my face plus a scarf. And I got on my bike and went out.

Chieflrg

I played football in the US into my mid 30s. I played sleeveless and without gloves in snow and below zero before wind chill.

If my body is up for a run I will until -30.

7lenny7

I haven't found my lower limit yet (first winter of running) but the lowest I've gone so far is - 23F wind chill. I ran 8 miles before going inside.

Today it was 0F and I thought that was a great temperature to run in.

Jruzer

This is dated now, but for what it's worth -40 C is about -40 F.

Snipsa

We very rarely get temp below 0C so it's never too cold to work out for me, but when it reaches 38 - 45 C as it has the past month, I only exercise very early mornings, as the heat is just too much to bear...

EvgeniZyntx

I've hiked and slept outdoors at -30 to -35C. It's all about clothes and material.

nordlead2005

I downhill ski in ~0F (down to about -15F windchill) weather (-18C, or -26 windchill)

I lifted in my garage when it was -2F outside (-19C), granted I had the house door open and an electric heater. Neither seemed to do anything other than cool the house down (the heater said it was 32F, but I'm pretty sure it was lying), but the electric heater did serve to re-warm my fingers after moving the plates.

Personally I'm glad that I don't have the opportunity to see if I'd go colder. It was sub 0F this past weekend and it is brutally cold when you just want to go out and get in your car and drive and don't want to bother layering up.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Nothing stops me running except ice. Toay it was too icy so I had to go walking instead.

Hooded base layers with the face cover are fab!

mbaker566

so far ice and a gym membership perk is the only thing that is keeping me inside. I ran 5ish miles in 1F. not sure what the windchill was.
i do think i would draw the line at -30F windchill.

meritage4

I lived in Inuvik. Outdoor recess was -40 or warmer. (and that's the same C or F). You can WALK in that temperature. With a scarf or neck tube to breather through. You don't want heavy exertion as that draws too much cold air into lungs.
I used to load my 2 preschoolers on sled and pull them to playgroup (about a km or so)

janejellyroll

I ran outside for about two hours Saturday. It was -9 when I started. I was fine except for my hands -- they got really, really cold even with special gloves. I wound up cutting a mile off my run because I was worried about how my hands were doing.

But I would try it again if I had better gloves or hand warmers.

snowflake930

The coldest temperature I went out for a walk in was air temperature-22F with -40F wind chill. I did not walk when it was - 18 F with a -65 F wind chill. The wind is brutal, but if there is no wind, as long as you are dressed for it, it can be invigorating.

ManiacalLaugh

I have asthma that is compounded by cold, so I don't do anything outside once it drops below 50F (+10C).

My boyfriend, however, will run out in the freezing cold and the boiling heat. The lowest he's done this year is -7C (20F).

The important thing is to make sure you stay hydrated (as it's harder to feel thirst sometimes in the cold), and to make sure your limbs and face are covered enough to avoid frostbite and windburn. Otherwise, from my understanding, it's extremely healthy to exercise in the cold.

beemerphile1

If it freezes the vitreous fluid in your eyeballs, it MIGHT be too cold. The coldest I recall running was -6F with a -40F windchill. I was dressed appropriately and actually turned my short run into a long run because it felt great.

Cold weather tip; rub petroleum jelly (Vaseline?) on all exposed skin before venturing out.