Instead of heading to the gym each winter, Lisa Oxsman stays outside for her daily runs. She says cold weather might mean she’s “dressed like a snowman,” but only a wind chill of zero degrees would “make [her] think twice.”
Treadmill tedium also makes Oxsman think twice about staying indoors.
“You get bored on the treadmills, there’s nothing to look at,” says the 33-year-old Lakeview resident.
A 14-time marathon runner, Oxsman ran the 2003 Chicago and New York marathons with only three weeks rest. She says she’ll race again in the spring.
“If you’re going to do a race in April, you have to do significant mileage in February and March,” she says. “The treadmill is fine for three or four miles, but hours?”
Running during the winter means “hearing the wind in your ears,” bundling for freezing temperatures and taking the occasional slip on ice, Oxsman says.
But exercising outside during the winter also can mean injury and frostbite, says podiatrist Robert Scott Steinberg. He treats many athletes with cold weather injuries at his Chicago clinic, the Active Foot and Ankle Center.
“I see a lot of people who do not dress warm enough for a workout and aren’t even sweating,” he says. “If they aren’t warm, they aren’t flexible.”
Cold weather can cause stiffness not only in the body but also in shoes.
“The material on the bottom of your shoe gets hard as a rock when cold,” Steinberg warns. “That’s like running on concrete.”
Since shoes can harden and the body can stiffen, Steinberg recommends indoor workouts for rainy weather or temperatures below 20 degrees. Runners can dress for cold weather, he says, but breathing in cold air can still lower body temperature.
But 20 degrees is good running weather for marathon coach Mike Norman of Chicago Endurance Sports. He says the cancellation policy for his running group is zero degrees or a wind chill of 20 below.
“I’m better in the cold than in the heat,” Norman says. “Everything is a little quieter, there isn’t as much of a crowd.”
Oxsman says she enjoys the winter scenery. And in the winter, there also is less noise and no hoards of people clogging the lakefront. And although Oxsman is careful to avoid ice, she says finding a plowed patch isn’t too hard.
Sticking to park paths maintained by the Chicago Park District can guarantee a paved surface, says Chicago runner Monica O’Hara.
“The Chicago Park District is usually better than Streets and Sanitation. The path is almost always plowed within 24 hours of a snowfall,” she says.
But even with a bit of snow, Norman says “it isn’t a big deal.” Taking small steps helps runners adjust their balance more quickly, he says. And taking a tumble is just an accepted part of winter workouts.
“I don’t think there is anyone who has run through the winter that hasn’t had at least one good wipeout,” he says.
Wrap yourself up
Beware your own sweat if you’re heading out for some freezing fitness, says marathon coach Mike Norman.
Sweating in cold temperatures can cause extra chills, and cotton fabrics “keep water right next to your skin.”
Instead of cotton, Norman recommends polyester fabrics to keep exercisers dry and warm.
Layering in thin fabrics can also help winter warriors retain heat. Thin layers can be added or removed without a huge temperature change, Norman says.
Your body will heat up once you begin working out, so Norman recommends dressing as if it were 15 degrees warmer and you weren’t doing exercise.
On top of thin layers, podiatrist Robert Scott Steinberg says, “the outer layer should be windproof.” Outer layers should also be bright and reflective. “Drivers are not expecting to see cyclists in the winter,” Steinberg says. “People are distracted, and the last thing they are going to be looking for is someone on a bike.”
–E.L.
Warm up indoors
Sprinting from the car to the gym in shorts and a T-shirt? Bad move, says podiatrist Robert Scott Steinberg. “Even indoors, you’re colder than you are in warm weather and more stiff,” he says.
Warming up properly before beginning your workout can help prevent injury. Walk, jog or bike for five to 10 minutes to warm up your muscles, says Kris Cooper, a physical therapist with HealthSouth Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centers in Chicago.
Muscles not ready for a workout are muscles ripe for injury. Cooper says he sees muscle sprains, strains, knee pain and Achilles tendonitis in patients who don’t warm up properly.
But stretching or doing light exercise before a warm up will increase blood flow to the muscles and help with flexibility. Keeping your legs covered and dressing warm for the gym can also keep your body from stiffening, Cooper says.
–E.L.
