Transitioning Workouts from Outdoors to Indoors
November 1, 2022
Fall is officially here! The weather is beginning to cool down, the pumpkins are out on the porch, and the smell of soup is in the air! All we want to do is curl up under a blanket with a good book or puzzle and keep warm. The weather changes can make it difficult to want to continue our workout routines, especially if we are used to walking or jogging around the streets in our neighborhoods. We may even find it challenging to adapt to the cooler temperatures. Ideally, we’d avoid the cold weather all together, right? We want our bodies to be comfortable as we work out, otherwise we will struggle reaching our optimal potential. But how do we make the leap from outdoor workouts to indoors? What should we keep in mind when changing our atmosphere? Here are a few tips.
1.) While outdoor activity gives you a healthy dose of Vitamin D from the sun, indoor activity is completed in an environment that can easily be manipulated. We can control the temperature at which we workout when we are inside. It is recommended that we complete our exercise in an environment around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Any warmer and we may be at risk of dehydration. Any colder and we run the risk of hypothermia or, in more severe cases, frostbite. By having the power to control the HVAC system, we can keep the temperature of our bodies, as well as the temperature of the room, regulated. Find what’s comfortable for you and you’ll rock your indoor routine!
2.) Get creative. It is very easy to get stuck in a monotonous exercise regimen when you feel trapped within the four walls of a gym. This mundane routine can cause a disinterest in the task at hand and maybe even cause you to lose motivation altogether! There is a wide variety of indoor exercise activities you can complete to challenge your body in various ways and continue to reach your potential each day. If you are one that needs to run through parks or by the lake and cannot stand staring at the wall ahead of you while on a treadmill, try a HIIT class! HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) routines are known to burn just as many calories (if not more!) and get that heart rate up, just as running would do!
3.) Stretch, stretch, stretch! We all know how important stretching can be with any type of physical activity. It keeps our muscles loose and joints mobile, so we have optimal range of motion with exercise. What we tend to forget is how stiff and tight our bodies can feel with weather changes. When it is cold, the body will push blood flow and energy to our core in order to keep our temperature regulated. This decreases the blood flow in our extremities, causing the muscles to tighten and lose contractility. By shifting your workouts indoors, you may not experience quite as much tension in the muscles, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there! By continuing to stretch before and after your workout, whether inside or out, you will keep your limbs running at optimal level and leave you feeling flexible as you work out.
4.) Join a class! It is pretty easy to run outside by yourself. The scenery alone will keep your mind occupied. But running inside is a little trickier! You get stuck staring at the same spot on the wall or floor ahead—there isn’t anything exciting about it! So, think about joining a class. Grab a friend or two and engage in the workout together. The wide variety of choices makes it easy to find a class catered to your personal needs. You may even find yourself enjoying the work out routine! Plus, it will feel less like an obligation and keep you wanting more, despite the cold weather!
