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Stretching

Troy Roth, MS, CSCS, ACSM, an exercise physiologist at St. Alexius Human Performance Center said the most important thing for exercising in general is to stretch. “Stretching is important for any type of weather, but it becomes extremely important to properly warm up before you stretch when it is cold,” Roth said. “A person needs to spend more time warming up and stretching when it’s cold out than when it’s warm because it takes longer to loosen the muscles and ligaments up.”

St. Alexius Medical Center’s Emergency Room sees an increase in patients during the fall months that are related to outdoor exercising in lower temperatures. Stacey Pfenning, NP, said they see patients with torn ligaments, contusions, sprains and strains and she attributes many of these injuries to inadequate stretching to compensate for the cool weather. “We see a variety of high school athletes participating in outdoor sports such as softball or football,” Pfenning said. “We also get patients who have hurt themselves on the job such as construction workers. Many people don’t realize that if you work outdoors in low temperatures, and your job requires a lot of movement, you could be at risk for injury.”

Sports such as softball have a high risk of injury because players tend to stand around in the field or on base and suddenly burst into action to make a play. This is difficult on the muscles because they can stiffen up during the waiting period and easily sprain or strain when exerted. Pfenning said it is best to do gentle, daily stretching for work purposes and more intense, isolated stretching for workouts and outdoor sports.

HPC recommends a five minute warmup followed by 5-10 minutes of stretching. “Warming up before you stretch will loosen your muscles and increase the blood flow to them, allowing for more flexibility during the stretching,” Roth said. “It is important to hold each stretch for 30 seconds and do two to three sets of stretches on each muscle group.” Roth added that a proper cool down after exercising also helps prevent injuries.

Hydration

It’s easy to remember to drink lots of fluids when exercising in warm weather because we want something cold and wet to satisfy our thirst. When we exercise in cooler weather, we don’t sweat as much or feel the need to drink fluids, but just because it’s not 90 degrees out and you aren’t dripping in sweat doesn’t mean that you need less fluids to re-hydrate your body. Although you may not feel like dousing yourself with water, you should still drink it.

“Water’s purpose is not always thirst-quenching,” Roth said. “It’s purpose is to hydrate the body to keep it functioning.” Pfenning said the standard equation for drinking while exercising is eight ounces of fluid for every hour of exercise.

“It is sometimes hard to abide by this rule of thumb, but it’s very important to keep our bodies fresh,” Pfenning said.

Dress Code

Your body naturally warms up as you begin to exert yourself. For this reason, it is not necessary to have tons of clothing on when exercising in cooler weather. The key to dressing for outdoor activity is layers. According to both Roth and Pfenning, the best way to dress is to start with a comfortable amount of clothing and remove as needed.

Based on research, there is now a market of clothing articles specifically tailored for exercising in the fall and winter months. Specialists recommend synthetic fabric as the first layer of clothing because it whisks away sweat and provides a layer of dry air near the skin. “It’s best to wear breathable articles of clothing,” Roth said. “This is the reason synthetic fabric works so well.”

Allergies, Chapped Lips & Dry Skin

Be aware of the small inconveniences that can come with the change of temperatures. As seasons change, so does the environment. Fall can bring an influx in allergens for some people, just as spring and summer does for others. If you suffer from allergies in the fall, remember to take these into consideration when exercising outdoors and prepare accordingly.

Fall also brings about a change in the air. It tends to add a certain dryness which in turn causes dry skin and chapped lips. If you plan to be outside for an extended amount of time, consider bringing plenty of chap stick and moisturizing lotion.

Body Check

Remember to know your limitations when exercising in cooler weather. Exercising in cooler weather can make a simple workout turn into a strenuous one. Each person knows his or her own body and knows what they can handle. “Your body needs to supply enough energy not only to allow you to exercise, but also to maintain your normal body temperature,” Pfenning said.