Baby it’s cold outside! How to boost your winter workouts
By Garry Kerr, Head of Operations and Training at British Military Fitness
(www.britishmilitaryfitness.com)
With the mornings and evenings getting darker and temperatures continuing to fall, the lure of
the duvet becomes even stronger and motivating yourself to exercise becomes even more of
a struggle. However, with a recent study at Georgetown University showing that even a short
break from exercise of between three and eight weeks can decrease fitness levels by up to
20 per cent1, taking a winter break from your fitness regime could have disastrous effects on
your health and fitness goals.
But how can you keep going through the cold and ensure your hard work doesn’t go to waste
during the winter months? Here are all the tips you’ll need to get the most out of your winter
workouts.
1. Warm up indoors
Warming up inside will mean you’ll be more relaxed and more likely to perform a thorough
warm up, your body will in turn be better prepared for the workout. The cold can be a real
shock to our muscles so it’s important to get them revved up before you expose yourself to
the elements.
2. Dress to compress
Wear tight fitting thermal clothing underneath your usual training gear, this will allow for better
heat retention. If you wear baggy clothing, your movements will replace the heat your body
produces with the cold outside air, so strap on the long johns and keep warm this winter.
3. Lower your intensity
Your body has a narrow range for optimum temperature and will work harder to maintain this
range in the colder months; runners are advised to reduce the length of their sessions to
compensate for the strenuous task of keeping warm.
4. Wear lights or hi-visibility clothing
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/617907/Ultimate-winterworkout-guide
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With light hours drastically reduced during the winter months it’s crucially important that
outdoor exercise enthusiasts stay visible to motorists and pedestrians. Donning hi-visibility
clothing or flashing bike lights can help you to stay safe on the streets.
5. Cool down
The cool down period is crucial in the winter months; your muscles naturally tense up more in
the cold weather and you’ve just exposed your body to some seriously harsh conditions so
take a few minutes to get some air before you head inside and start relaxing.
6. Shower immediately after
Sweat is indented to cool our bodies down as we exercise but as the weather gets colder we
could really do without this usually beneficial effect. It’s important to wash as soon as possible
after a winter work out to avoid sweat drying and cooling on your skin.
7. Dress warm post-session
After your session you need to give your body every advantage in getting back up to
temperature, so after you’ve washed and your warm and dry put some layers on to aid the
recovery.
8. Drink warm drinks after exercise
It’s important to keep hydrated through the whole workout but ice-cold water can shock the
internal organs after a session; no matter how thirst-quenching it might be, a warm drink will
be more ultimately beneficial. Try green tea as it also speeds up your metabolism!
It’s really difficult to keep that motivation up through the long dark nights but by following
these simple guidelines you should be able to keep your regime going and avoid that familiar
lapse in progress through the winter.
Ends -
Notes to editors:
The Major Series is the UK’s most fun and friendly obstacle race. The 5k and 10k courses
are littered with all kinds of obstacles, mud, hills, water and more even more mud! Most
importantly, there are over 40 of the Major's finest troops stationed around the course, there
to help runners through the obstacles, but maybe challenge them to a few too! Camaraderie
and teamwork is what the Major Series is all about.
About British Military Fitness
Founded in 1999, British Military Fitness (BMF) is the UK’s undisputed leader in outdoor
fitness. Welcoming people of all fitness levels who want to get fit but struggle to find the
motivation, BMF combines inspiring group exercise led by real, military-trained professionals
to deliver life-changing results with serious fun guaranteed.
The experts in outdoor fitness
British Military Fitness has spent the last 15 years developing its outdoor group fitness
classes and now holds 400 sessions a week in over 140 parks nationwide. Combining
professional ability and infectious enthusiasm, BMF guarantees an effective workout,
improved fitness and a good laugh. BMF genuinely changes people’s lives.
Training outside, British Military Fitness instructors work to a standard not a formula – every
session is unique and designed to challenge, offering a variety of exercises and terrain. Each
class is tailored to match the ability and fitness level of the members and to make full use of
the outdoor space available.
Serious Fun and challenging classes
At British Military Fitness members find that the classes make them work harder than they
would do by themselves, and they enjoy the support and banter of a team. It’s the
atmosphere, along with regular socials, that keeps thousands of people coming back for more
every week.
BMF will encourage members to push their limits and help get more out of each work out to
become their best. They provide the expertise and the motivation – you just have to turn up!
High-trained instructors
Our reputation is built on our 400+ highly trained instructors. Every one has an authentic
military PT background, and there’s more military service between them than any other outfit,
not including the British Army. Throughout their military careers, BMF instructors were
encouraged to be the best they could be and to achieve as much as possible through hard
work, a positive attitude, and maximum effort at all times. This is the approach adopted at
British Military Fitness and members experience the distinctive motivational style (and
irrepressible banter) of instructors from the very first session.
For more information please contact Amy, Liam or Alice on bmf@manifestcomms.co.uk or
call 0113 2429174