Weather and walking\jogging! I need advice!

pascale485

I live in the Ottawa Region (Canada) and since november winter is here. I was walking to and from work. a good 2 km walk. It was nice and I loved it!

But I HATE winter for walking. It's freaking cold, I get wet, not comfortable...

How do you get yourself motivated to walk during winter?

Do you still wear your sneakers or winter boots?

How do you dress?

I want to get back to walking, the bus is too exepnsive for me and I loved walking so much last summer!

MaximalLife

I love winters.
I have an indoor tennis wall court in my basement, a mini trampoline, a punching bag and a dance area.
FUN FUN FUN!
Training needs to be enjoyable; find what's satisfying or at least what you could learn to like.
I just don't do certain exercises that are miserable, and that includes:
most indoor cardio like the treadmill - "dreadmil" or stationary bike, elliptical, aerobic classes....
I'd rather be just thrown off a building.

No, in my program exercise is either fun, or count me OUT!

AndreaG170

I have to walk my dog 3-5 times a day (my fiance and I take turns) because she avoids our back yard like the plague due to the other tenant's aggressively territorial dog. In the winter time, I tend to keep it down to around-the-block, because I hate walking on ice and slippery surfaces. But I bundle up, strap on my Keens, and once I'm out there, I might not come back for an hour if the sidewalks are clear. The cold doesn't bother you after a while. I'll never get used to walking on ice, but bundling up and getting wet isn't even an issue for me anymore. I definitely think you should wear your winter boots if there's snow on the ground because wet feet are incredibly uncomfortable, and that'll definitely deter you from going out.

On a side note, if you're in the mood for a hot drink when you get home, stick to tea instead of hot chocolate. I was disappointed to find that McDonald's 8-oz hot chocolate is somewhere around 300 calories.

We're at about the same latitude; I live in Marquette, Michigan, a few blocks away from Lake Superior. So, considering that we probably have similar weather, just fyi, I keep the walks really short when there's a snow storm and painful winds. There's nothing pleasant about not being able to feel your face, fingers, and toes.

heyghoge

i wear two pairs of pants - the outside one would be a pair of warm track pants, something to insulate/plus protect the work pants from getting splashed or muddy. insulated mittens, mittens over gloves, my fingers get chilly otherwise. usually i carry an extra pair of socks, i guess if i had to worry about that sort of thing i might bring an extra pair of shoes too - i do have a problem where my sneakers always get wet on the toes and it is miserable after awhile hat and scarf helps a lot.

i HAD to walk to work for awhile, so the motivation was built-in for me. it is a lot easier once you force yourself out the door, if it's any consolation!

AndreaG170

If you're walking to work, pack your work pants, socks and shoes in a plastic bag inside a backpack so you can change when you get there. If your pants legs or socks get wet on your walk, you don't want to have to wear them all day. That way, you can wear long johns and jeans for warmth and it won't matter if they get messed up by snow or salt.

heyghoge

If you're walking to work, pack your work pants, socks and shoes in a plastic bag inside a backpack so you can change when you get there. If your pants legs or socks get wet on your walk, you don't want to have to wear them all day. That way, you can wear long johns and jeans for warmth and it won't matter if they get messed up by snow or salt.

hah, yes, op could be more sensible than me and pack work clothes separately :laugh:

my walk was about 4 miles (~6.4km) and if i had a backpack clinging to my back, my back would be gross and sweaty afterwards, so if you have that problem too, maybe you even want to wear casual/workout clothes head to toe?