Outdoor exercise

activities1

Anyone go running or walking outdoors? I am no but with winter coming I'm curious what tricks everyone has to continue to walk and run outside without being stuck inside on treadmill????

Machka9

I walk, cycle, hike, canoe ... and occasionally jog and swim outside.

When I lived in Canada, I could cycle and walk year round and also cross country ski and snow shoe.

In Australia I can only do the winter sports once or twice a year but i can do more cycling.

If the weather is really bad we will go to the gym ... and this past winter I've been doing a spinning class on Mondays.

Nony_Mouse

Warm clothes and decent wet weather gear.

dutchandkiwi

Three is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clather.
I walk, run, cycle etc in most weathers. I have good rain gear and plenty or warm Odlo/Craft thermal underwear and am not afraid to get wet or cold even. Layering will do the trick in many many cases.
When cold a hot shower/bath will take care of that Only when the weather turns dangerous I will stay in with a you tube video.

Bluebell2325

I just stick on a headtorch and go run. And an extra layer if necessary. Very simple.

Bluebell2325

Plus arm warmers are a great invention. Rip them off and stick them in a pocket / knicker elastic once you get too hot.

KarenSmith2018

Take a big breath and just get going: I soon warm up enough. Occassionally I will wear a long sleeved top, rarely long sleeved bottoms. If it is really horrendous out I will do another activity. But the UK weather rarely gets super terrible

activities1

I guess the question is which wet weather gear should I get? Poncho? Windbreakers?

I've got no clue.. new to this and I want to continue into winter. Gym isn't an option since I do in am before daughter wakes up and husband is gone already.

collectingblues

Are you trying to prep for rain or cold/snow?

I work outside almost exclusively for runs -- the exceptions being rain (because nope nope nope), dangerous heat indexes (like, 90+), or extreme cold (under 20). I hate running in rain, so don't force myself to do that. On rainy days, I'll either go to barre instead, or suck up and do the treadmill for 30 or 45 minutes.

For winter runs, I have Polartec tights, a slim hoodie, a wool base layer, wool beanie, gloves, etc. I wear more or less depending on how cold it is. If it's under 40, I start piling on the layers. Above, not so much.

PinkyPan1

I golf as long as it is above freezing....hitting a frozen golf ball hurts. It is liking hitting rocks. Other than that I walk and sometimes hike. Dry wick clothing, warm layers that you can peel off and you should be good to go. I do carry hand warmers and very warms socks. I dreaded the colder weather but it is actually exhilarating once you get started. Good luck.

activities1

Ya I run/walk daily now and want to continue when it starts to rain

TavistockToad

activities1 wrote: »

Ya I run/walk daily now and want to continue when it starts to rain

you wont melt if you get wet...

Bluebell2325

You only get wet once. Something that doesn't get rubby and dries quickly is good. To be honest I never wear too much in the rain, as wet stuff is heavy and ends up slapping you.

Bluebell2325

Running in the rain is very liberating (until the sweat gets washed into your eyes and under your contact lenses). I live in Cumbria UK, and I can easily see all 4 seasons in one day. My problem is I overheat easily so thin layers I can strip off and fold down to nothing (like the arm warmers) are ideal for me. Same with the wind, you wear too many clothes they puff up like a parachute and stop you getting anywhere. The worst is hailstones, but I have sunglasses with changeable lenses so I can put clear ones in and wear them as eye protection in the wind and hail. What weather are you expecting?

Machka9

OK, you're in California ...

I'm guessing it doesn't actually get all that cold there ... not likely below freezing. You'll just have a bit of rain.

Go to your local REI: https://www.rei.com/ or similar, and ask the friendly helpful staff about waterproof breathable jackets for walking/running/cycling.

Personally, I like jackets with long pit-zips for extra airflow, and for that you might have to check the cycling collection.

Then go with polypro for warmth ... and/or perhaps another long-sleeved cycling or running jersey.

I like merino too, but tend to use it as a mid-layer, not a base layer.

Bluebell2325

I also love my 360* reflective (not just hi-viz) running jacket, fantastic piece of kit if you're out after dark (this is me in the dark with my head torch on).

CTcutie

I think Runner's World has a dress for your run thing on their site/app... but basically mentally add 10 degrees to the temp outside and dress for that if running. (If walking, you might need an extra light layer??) After running for 5-10 min even at 20 degrees (even C25K past week 2, for me!), I warm up so I wear: UA Cold Gear tights/leggings, wool running socks, a wicking tank & long sleeve wicking top. I wear a beanie & light gloves and a fleece (w a shell/windbreaker if cold & wet).
When it's like 50: Capri leggings & wicking top.
50-70: capris & tank
Over 70: shorts come out (I don't really like wearing running shorts!)
In the rain: grab a baseball cap so you can keep some rain off your face & a good quality evaporative rain jacket (I like NF brand for this; you might just got hotter than you think & end up wrapping around your waist, though).
Running Shoes: helps if you can afford 2 pairs(don't use the wet ones!)- or a seperate pair that is waterproof (trail running shoes).
Don't run on ice!

Machka9

Bluebell2325 wrote: »

I also love my 360* reflective (not just hi-viz) running jacket, fantastic piece of kit if you're out after dark (this is me in the dark with my head torch on).

What is the brand name of that jacket? I saw someone recently (on a cycling event) with something similar to that.

CTcutie

If you can spare the money, the gear will be worth your investment! If you buy cheaper stuff & get clammy or overheated, you won't enjoy your workouts... I speak from experience :-)

activities1

TavistockToad wrote: »

activities1 wrote: »

Ya I run/walk daily now and want to continue when it starts to rain

you wont melt if you get wet...

I just might! No.. my worry isn't that. I just don't want to be soaking wet and not enjoying the run or getting a cold because I'm not being prepared correctly when outside.

Yes I'm in California and it doesn't get real cold just some wind and then rain, that's it.
Thank you all so far for the helpful info!

Bluebell2325

I originally went for pro-viz, which is quite an expensive brand, but the fit and quality was very poor for the money. This is a Mountain Warehouse one, a third of the prices much better fit but isn't great ventilation wise. But I overheat very easily any ways so maybe it's me!! Highly recommend it, you can't see it yourself when your running, so it doesn't glare, but car drivers can see it very very clearly.

collectingblues

If it's just "some" rain, you will be fine. Either make your peace with doing short treadmill runs, or buy the right gear. For the days when I know it's going to rain and I have to be out, I use a lightweight waterproof shell jacket from Athleta, as well as a visor to keep the rain from my face.

And you don't get colds from being outside in the rain. You get colds from viruses.

TavistockToad

i have a light weight fluorescent shower proof running jacket... if its bucketing it down, you're getting wet whatever you wear!

i don't think i have ever been cold for more than 10 minutes of a run in winter. i am in the UK, i wont run if its icy but apart from that the most i have needed to wear is my jacket, a long sleeved running top and gloves.

activities1

Thank you all!

lorrpb

The classic layering system for outdoor activities is a wicking layer next to your skin, top & bottom, then a fleece layer for warmth, then an outer wind/water shell. You don't always need layers 2 &3 depending on conditions. I like tops with a half zip because it provides a great means of venting/ temperature control. It can take some experimentation to see what works best for various conditions & personal preference. You can pick up a lot of this at Goodwill or other thrift stores. Start looking now because you might need to check back a few times. Look for the active wear rack at Goodwill. Tech gear gets spendy pretty fast.

rsclause

My favorite app or website is runnersworld/whattowear. You dial in your gender, age, weather temp & wind and then describe how hard you run & how warm you want to feel. It is spot on and eliminated that horrible feeling after running a mile that you are way overdressed.

spiriteagle99

I use the RunnerWorld site "What to Wear for Runners". ( https://www.runnersworld.com/what-to-wear ) Beyond that, I keep notes on what I actually wear under different conditions and how it felt. When the 'feels like' is different from the actual temperature, it can make a difference. One thing I learned was that I can run in much colder temps. than I thought. The first few years, I only ran if it was above freezing. Then I had a race (a HM) where it was 17 degrees at the start. I was freaked out, but I managed just fine. After that I decided I needed to expand my running to days when conditions weren't great - whether cold, hot, or wet - because you never know what will happen on race day.

Get some lightweight gloves for cold mornings and an ear band. Wool or fleece hat when it's colder. Make sure you have pockets so you can take them off when you warm up (usually about 2 miles in for me.)
The rain jacket you wear for walking may be different from the one you wear running. I have a heavy one for walking that is a bit warmer. For running, I dress for the feels like temperature + 20 degrees. For walking I dress for the actual temperature.

NorthCascades

If it's cold out, dress for the second mile not the first, so that you're cold when you walk out the door. Otherwise you'll overheat once you warm up. You can combat those first chilly minutes by drinking a hot cup of tea before you leave.

Rosemary7391

In the past when I've run in winter I just put up with being cold for the first few minutes - I soon warmed up. Rain, wind - I live in Glasgow, that isn't a winter thing. Just a thing. I run and get wet - I'm getting wet with sweat anyway and I have a decent shower to come back to. I'm wondering about how to deal with ice though - I've been able to run on grass before, but I don't easily have that option now.

DebLaBounty

I live in the Pacific Northwest, and we get our share of rain. The key is to not over dress. You are going to warm up during your run. I use a light long-sleeved base layer under the Patagonia Houdini jacket. I got the jacket on sale. It's water repellent (so it's good for light rains; I don't know how it will do in a rain storm) and breathable (which is important so you don't overheat and feel all clammy with sweat, then get cold after your run). I never run with a fleece layer, as it doesn't breathe and just makes me sweaty and hot. Even though the jacket has a hood, I wear a baseball cap, too, so that the hat bill helps keep my glasses dry. You can try some lightweight gloves and see how those work for you. I wear long running tights. For years I had a pair of Sporthill XC Pants, which even provided some wind resistance.

By the way, the Houdini jacket is so lightweight that if you end up not needing it, it's comfy tied around the waist.

nowine4me

As of today -- at 4:30 in the morning -- during Hurricane Irma, I hit 610 days of getting 10k steps. All outdoors. Never once stepped on a treadmill and I don't belong to a gym.

I make it a top priority, rain or shine, blazing heat or freezing cold to get my steps. Simple.