Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Outdoor Training Tips

Wear comfortable attire

  • Dress in layers. Wear a few sweatshirts and sweatpants to remove after a dynamic warm-up and a few intense exercises.
  • Wear Gloves. Metal bars, bleachers, metal or wooden benches, outside steps, concrete, grass and artificial turf are all cold in the winter.
  • Wear a warm hat. A baseball cap may not be enough to keep your head warm.

Check weather conditions and the terrain for safety
Exercising in extreme cold and icy conditions can be just as risky as working out in extreme high temperatures and humidity. Uncovered skin, especially on your hands and feet, gets cold first when exposed to the elements, so dress to prevent frostbite. Be sure to check for icy patches so you don't slip and injure yourself.

Stay hydrated
Keep that water bottle handy before, during and after workouts.

Do a thorough dynamic warm-up
Muscles are normally tighter in cold weather, so devote extra time to performing a dynamic upper- and lower-body warm-up. Before getting bundled up, it's important to warm up your muscles. A 10- to 15-minute dynamic warm-up (e.g., runner warm up on nike app) will get your blood pumping and core temperature up. Don't try to warm up with hot coffee or tea, because they contain stimulants that can constrict blood vessels and cause hypothermia to set in earlier. Instead, stick to sports drinks to stay hydrated when you perspire.

Finish with upper- and lower-body cool down static stretches (e.g., runner flexibility on nike app)

They gradually cool down the body after high-intensity activity and improve flexibility and range of motion.


Benefits Of Exercising Outside

Added Vitamin D

When training outside, you get beneficial vitamin D from the sun to support muscle strength, mass, and bone density. Vitamin D helps the body maintain healthy levels of calcium and phosphorous to prevent osteoporosis and brittle bones and also enhances the immune system to fight off disease and infection. Vitamin D also optimizes natural testosterone production—a key anabolic (muscle-building) hormone. Vitamin D also helps maintain muscle strength. 

Promotes Happiness and Help Prevents Depression

Exercising in sunshine can also help to ward off depression and improves your mood, particularly during the sun-deprived winter months. People who increased their time in the sun improved their mood and Vitamin D status and showed fewer symptoms of depression.