Walking is my exercise...but winter is near

GrannySparkle

My exercise is my new found love for walking. I really enjoy it. BUT winter is near. Tomorrow will be to cold to walk. So my plan is to take the Radar bus (so I don't have to walk to the bus stop in the cold) and go to the mall to walk. To use the Radar bus I had to go through an approval process that included a statement from my doc, which was no problem as I have a long list of ailments. But the idea of taking the bus to the mall every day just blows my mind. I have to look at what tomorrow's weather will be, and schedule a pick today for tomorrow. I pray the forecast is correct.

If your only exercise is walking, and live where it gets cold in the winter, what is your solution to walking in the cold? Of course I could only wish I had a treadmill. Not within my budget anytime soon.

SeaJenni

Living room dance party!! Also, I bought a yoga dvd, a belly dance dvd, and a native american dance dvd. They are still in the packaging, unless my mom threw them out. She does stuff like that. Calisthenics? Maybe a jump rope or a hula hoop. Is your living room big enough to pace?

KANGOOJUMPS

yep, i started out fast walking outside, when winter comes i head to the indoor rec centre walking tracks, i still fast walk in the winter outside,,i am hoping to get a treadmill this winter and try that, i like to snowshoe and ice skate in the winter too., and ski

allthenamesaretaken1

There are days I rather just walk or run but its too cold out so I decided to run inside my house. Is it possible you can walk laps in your house? I run up the stairs, down the hall, run back down the stairs and loop around my living room (catch the tv as I run by). My husband says I look silly but it works.

Luthien007

I do leslie sansone DVDs at home. There's a group on Mfp with monthly challenges.
Your local library might have some to try

mgmlap

How cold is cold..I live in Denver..and I bought a pair of baselayer pants and tops a fleece had and gloves...I usually only feel cold the first 5 minutes..then I warm up.

As long as it isnt windy..I go outside....

jen10st

I'm planning on continuing to run outside unless it gets dangerously icy. I keep adding layers to keep me warm, get some nice cosy winter woolies at the mall tomorrow and enjoy the nice fresh air when its cold out.
"There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wring clothes" - Billy Connolly

cordianet

How cold is cold..I live in Denver..and I bought a pair of baselayer pants and tops a fleece had and gloves...I usually only feel cold the first 5 minutes..then I warm up.

As long as it isnt windy..I go outside....

Me too. I'm like the post office: neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays me from my appointed rounds...

litarider

You might be surprised at how much you can take. Of course, there are some medical conditions that warrant caution when it comes to exercising in the cold. If your doc has told you that you shouldn't exercise outdoors in the cold, then you shouldn't. If however, you don't have one of those conditions, consider keeping up with outdoor walking. Add light layers, wear gloves (there are special gloves for cyclists and runners for winter use), wear a hat.

You can also take some warm fruit tea to sip if you get really cold. Plus there are hand and foot warmers that you can slip inside your shoes and gloves.

Try exercising at different times if you can. Although it's really cold in the evening and morning, it's less cold at 10 AM or noon. Walking during lunch instead of the evening or morning might be bearable for you as well.

Once you're in motion, you warm up and it doesn't seem so cold. I never thought I could bike outside in the cold but I found that 35 degrees at 8:00 AM wasn't that bad.

Good luck!

cjgsmg

It's not an option for everybody, but we found a reasonably priced treadmill. It's already really cold in the mornings here and I have a little one so running during the day is out for me. A treadmill that my husband and I use, and now our older kids love, has been well worth the money.

Pixi_Rex

How cold is cold? I live in the middle of no where Sask where it can gets to well below -40 in the winter I just dress appropriatly and go for a walk. Of course if there is a really horrid windchill, I will re-consider but if you are dressed for the weather its not that bad.

shrinkingislander

Leslie Sansone has a really good walking at home dvd program and they are pretty cheap. I think they are called Walk Away the Pounds and better yet she does not have a grating voice or a drill sargent personality. Check her out.

Tina2Cats

You could do the Leslie Sansone walk at home dvd's http://www.walkathome.com/ her dvd's are cheaper on amazon.com

bizorra

I bought my MIL Leslie Sansone DVDs and she loves them - she's in her 60s and its very icy where she lives, so she's not interested in walking in the winter.

Where I live we get snow, and very little ice. It started snowing here mid-Oct, and is already -20C. I dress in layers and choose walking paths with wind protection and have a pair of sheepskin lined boots. I love walking in the snow

LorinaLynn

Before my dog became a lazy old sissy, I'd walk him outside in any weather. Layers. Lots of layers. Thermal underwear, sweaters, scarves, gloves, two pairs of socks, hiking boots, hat that covered the ears. Nothing kept us indoors.

lizziebeth1028

I'm another big fan of Leslie Sansone walk at home DVDs! There are a few available on YouTube for free

lilRicki

I dress for the weather...i live in central alberta, it gets damn cold here...but with proper winter gear you'll be fine

AllonsYtotheTardis

Well, I guess it depends on what you can tolerate for cold. I live in Montreal - it regularly gets very, very cold here. I'll still be exercising outside until the temperature dips below -15C (around 0 F ), as the windchill starts to become a consideration. If the wind chill is really bad, I'll stay in... Oh, and if the snow plows haven't cleared my street yet, hahah!!

I just dress appropriately, and I'll still go... but I'm used to Canadian winters.


Some of my winter exercise will, admittedly, be shoveling snow...

JessMySize

Want my advice? Bundle up. I've bundled up for the past few days.. (: Or invest in a stationary bike!

GrannySparkle

I wish I could handle the cold. Unfortunately I can't any more. I grew up in Nothern New York but to many years in Virginia and my thick Yankee blood is to thin. I easily get cold to the bone.

I will have to look into some of the Walk at Home DVDs. It might help. Sure is a lot cheaper than a treadmill.

AliciaStinger

I live outside of Chicago, so it can get pretty nasty here. We have an indoor track at one of the park disctrict buildings, above their basketball court and ice skating rink. I realize that not all communities have something like that, but at the same time, there are people in my town who have lived here their whole lives and have no idea this indoor track exists. You may want to look around your town and see if something like this exists.

The mall is another good place to go, too; the mall by my house even has groups that come in and walk around the mall on Sunday mornings before the shops open.

Finally, if there's a college around your house, you may want to check if they have a track. At my current school, you need to have a school ID or pay to use the gym -- but at the community college where I started, I don't think they checked ID unless you wanted to join a fitness class.

Good luck!