Winter Workouts: Get Out There!
by David McCaskill
Winter is here and it's no time to hibernate! Staying inside often means
breathing in too much bad indoor air, gaining weight and getting the winter
blues and bugs. Exercising inside the gym is great for strength training but
exercising outside during a New England winter really stiffens the backbone!
That's why one of my favorite winter scenes is a cross country ski trail with
spruce and fir trees cloaked in a fresh dusting of snow. It's beautiful, and it
beckons the adventurous soul and winter-bound body.
Here in Maine we have a wonderful year-round outdoor playground (usually
free of charge) for fun and exercise. Winter activities, such as cross country
skiing, snow shoeing or simply walking briskly in the cold, crisp air, are fairly
inexpensive and easy on the joints. Outdoor exercise also helps increase
metabolism rates to fight weight gain and endorphin (brain
chemical) levels to help keep us peppy and free of the winter blues. (Although
my favorite reason for outdoor winter exercise is the smug feeling of earning
that post work-out lounge around the wood stove with a cup of hot chai tea!)
So where to go and what to do?
If there's no convenient woods road or nearby snowmobile trail (always check
with the landowner about access), check out some of Maine's State Parks.
There are extensive trail systems at Bradbury Mountain in southern Maine,
Camden Hills and Acadia National
Park on the coast, Mount Blue State Park in the western mountains and, up
north, at Aroostook State Park and Baxter State Park (where winter trips require
proof of experience and registration).
For more information on cross skiing centers in Maine,
including the two world class centers in Aroostook County, go to
www.mainewsc.org
When venturing out during your winter wanderings dress in layers and choose
clothes, especially your windproof outer layer that vents or breathes to manage
moisture (sweat). Protect exposed, skin, from the wind and drink plenty of
fluids to prevent dehydration in the cold dry winter air. Also, don't forget that
old adage, cotton kills: dress in wool or synthetics (made of recycled plastics!)
that don't retain moisture.
One more thing. It's really important to be able to recognize the symptoms of
hypothermia (uncontrolled shivering, drowsiness, slurred speech, numbness)
and understand the concepts of wind chill. When exercising in the cold, the risk
of hypothermia is usually greatest when you stop and don't have access to
warm dry shelter or dry clothes.
Along with winter clothing, footwear is much improved as well, such as the new
lightweight but warm boots designed for snowshoeing and winter running
shoes with spikes that grip those patches of ice and snow, but push back up into
the sole when you hit pavement again.
Stay healthy this winter and get outside and exercise to keep the blues and the
bugs at bay!
About the Author:
David McCaskill is an Environmental Engineer with
the Maine DEP's Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management.
by David McCaskill
Winter is here and it's no time to hibernate! Staying inside often means
breathing in too much bad indoor air, gaining weight and getting the winter
blues and bugs. Exercising inside the gym is great for strength training but
exercising outside during a New England winter really stiffens the backbone!
That's why one of my favorite winter scenes is a cross country ski trail with
spruce and fir trees cloaked in a fresh dusting of snow. It's beautiful, and it
beckons the adventurous soul and winter-bound body.
Here in Maine we have a wonderful year-round outdoor playground (usually
free of charge) for fun and exercise. Winter activities, such as cross country
skiing, snow shoeing or simply walking briskly in the cold, crisp air, are fairly
inexpensive and easy on the joints. Outdoor exercise also helps increase
metabolism rates to fight weight gain and endorphin (brain
chemical) levels to help keep us peppy and free of the winter blues. (Although
my favorite reason for outdoor winter exercise is the smug feeling of earning
that post work-out lounge around the wood stove with a cup of hot chai tea!)
So where to go and what to do?
If there's no convenient woods road or nearby snowmobile trail (always check
with the landowner about access), check out some of Maine's State Parks.
There are extensive trail systems at Bradbury Mountain in southern Maine,
Camden Hills and Acadia National
Park on the coast, Mount Blue State Park in the western mountains and, up
north, at Aroostook State Park and Baxter State Park (where winter trips require
proof of experience and registration).
For more information on cross skiing centers in Maine,
including the two world class centers in Aroostook County, go to
www.mainewsc.org
When venturing out during your winter wanderings dress in layers and choose
clothes, especially your windproof outer layer that vents or breathes to manage
moisture (sweat). Protect exposed, skin, from the wind and drink plenty of
fluids to prevent dehydration in the cold dry winter air. Also, don't forget that
old adage, cotton kills: dress in wool or synthetics (made of recycled plastics!)
that don't retain moisture.
One more thing. It's really important to be able to recognize the symptoms of
hypothermia (uncontrolled shivering, drowsiness, slurred speech, numbness)
and understand the concepts of wind chill. When exercising in the cold, the risk
of hypothermia is usually greatest when you stop and don't have access to
warm dry shelter or dry clothes.
Along with winter clothing, footwear is much improved as well, such as the new
lightweight but warm boots designed for snowshoeing and winter running
shoes with spikes that grip those patches of ice and snow, but push back up into
the sole when you hit pavement again.
Stay healthy this winter and get outside and exercise to keep the blues and the
bugs at bay!
About the Author:
David McCaskill is an Environmental Engineer with
the Maine DEP's Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management.
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