Cold and Snow: A Plus Athlete's Best Workout Weather

 "She's insane."  Debatable.  Normal people go inside to the gym. But I'm not a treadmill or track person, so it's outside for me.

"It's not safe."  Bollycocks.  It's totally safe, as long as it's above 10 degrees air temperature, and you're appropriately covered.  Once you're moving for about 5 minutes, it just feels like any other day...as long as you're covered up and not going all bleacher-style out there.

So what exactly can you do outside, when the temps are cold and your motivation is short?  Well, start with the easy stuff, things that require a bit more energy than a walk to the store, which gaurantee you'll stay warm, and see something fun.

Nordic Walking - I'm a big proponent of the Nordic Walking these days.  If you haven't seen anyone doing this yet, be prepared to mock them. Think cross-country skier - only, on land.  Nordic Walking has its root in those crazy Finnish people, who started doing it in the 1930s to keep fit in the cross-country offseason.  How does it work?  Simple - grab a pair of poles from your local Target, REI, or elsewhere, check out one of the dozens of demos on YouTube (cheesy but effective), and get moving. 

By swinging your arms more, pushing off the ground with those poles, and lengthening your stride, you burn (wait for it) forty percent more calories - and get as intense a workout as if you were running - only without some of the downsides that running can bring if you're injured or carrying extra pounds. Plus, the poles are great to help stabilize you on local trails that might be a little slick from ice or snow.  

Snowshoeing - The perfect winter activity, particularly if Paul is right.  Last Wednesday, on a well-earned vacation day,I tried out my new snowshoes at Waveland...er..Syndney Marowitz Golf Course.  Over the first, third, and fourth holes, I found out first-hand how quiet the course is in mid-winter with a few inches of snow to cover it.  I also found out that my snowshoes left me with wet lower-legs (the snow was particularly wet that day.)  That said, it won't stop me from heading out this week if we get dumped on.  I've snowshoed in the Colorado Rockies (at about 8,000 feet, it was pretty gorgeous, and no, it's not quite the same in Chicago), and it's a great way to hike in the winter - or just walk around on the snow.

You can rent them at REI in Lincoln Park,  and through the Chicago Park District's Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island on February 20th.  User tip: get the poles if you're renting - they'll stabilize you as you learn to walk in them. 

Winter Hiking - Hiking is as simple as it sounds. Gear up appropriately, and head out to a local trail to see what Chicago looks like in the winter.  Less than 30 minutes from downtown, you can wander along the Palos Trail System, part of the Cook County Forest Preserve, which gives you hills, and lakes, and streams, oh my!  If you're looking for an easy, accessible way to spend an hour or two on a Sunday, this is a good option.  Simply grab a friend, a pair of your favorite running, walking, or hiking shoes, and go wandering.  You'll find that the hills give you a bit of a push you don't get walking downtown - and the solitude and scenery are spectacular.  Dont' forget the water, and don't be afraid of the cold - just leave the cotton at home, and you'll be fine.

So that's it friends.  Just a few of the ways that I like to take advantage of the winter, and get moving outside.  No, you can't ride along the lakefront like Lance - not till spring, anyway.  But until then, don't think of the winter as an indoor death sentence. It's actually an excuse for us to get outside, take in some of that crazy sunshine, and get moving.

I'll see you on the path!