Last year we enjoyed neither the wintery weather, neither the frost nor cold temperatures. Even though the new year has just started, we already have been given loads of snow – it’s easy to tell that 2021 will be better than the last year was! All we want to do now is run outside, make snow angels, snow fight, and go with the sledges from hills…
However, we must not forget the seriousness of the outgoing situation and quarantine restrictions, so the only way to truly enjoy the winter is to do it safely. We are not only talking about maintaining a safe distance from other people but also taking care of yourself before going outside and once returned into a closed environment. As national lockdown turned our lives upside down, wintertime is a perfect season to get oneself back together and start exercising! The only question is how we are supposed to do it? Is it possible to harmonize both sports and winter?
When to Play Sports? – Winter vs. Other Seasons
No doubt, for some people winter is the most unlikeable season of the year and, in this case, their emotions are based on wintery weather conditions – wind, snowfall, cold, frost, etc. Here at Biomedicanna, we believe there is no such thing as bad weather – only failure to prepare for it. There is no need to get angry about winter as it is always better to invest in quality warm clothing: parka, boots, gloves, scarf, thermal clothes, etc. Winter clothing helps to solve the problem above, allows to enjoy the season, and exercise without the fear of getting cold.
If we compare exercising in winter with activities at other seasons, most people will say that they can only exercise at summertime when the sun goes down. They have such opinions because the temperature is sometimes too hot to handle. Summer is dangerous for both the amateurs and professional athletes as they fall to the risk of getting sunburnt or fainting. Even though this may seem as not a problem at all, people who choose outdoor activities at summer are often irritated by mosquitos and other insects; therefore, people with severe allergies better play sports as far from such places as possible. Exercising in both spring and autumn is also far from perfect conditions. These seasons are characterized by heavy rainfalls, so sometimes running tracks and trails may be flooded and impenetrable.
Here winter wins the fight with other seasons as the most unlikeable weather conditions can quickly be turned into a perfect sports environment. One only need to show some creativity and prepare for weather and terrain changes in advance.
Where to Exercise? – Indoor vs. Outdoor
The goal to start exercising is probably one of the most popular New Year goals of all time – sadly, it means starting to exercise despite winter conditions. At this time of the year, indoor places are the only help allowing us comfortably play sports and keep a good shape. One can always exercise at home – now it’s quite easy to turn an unused room into a private gym but, of course, a yoga mat in the middle of the living room is still a great idea. For those who associate the good physical form with professional sports equipment, the gym is true salvation. Here for considerably low monthly membership price one can use various exercise equipment, relax in swimming pools or saunas, and get valuable advice from professional coaches. Because we all had spent an entire year at home, indoor exercising at this moment may not be the best idea. As all of the gyms and sports centres are closed, outdoor exercising is the best way to get out of this gloomy reality.
Outdoor activities and sports have more advantages than one may think of – exercising in the fresh air does not cost anything! There are plenty of community sports courts, beautiful trails and parks where you may find out that walking is the best type of sports out there. Moreover, some exercises do not even need special equipment, so you can exercise wherever you are! There is one aspect left to discuss; outdoor sports also help decrease exercising anxiety as no people would be uncomfortably watching you doing push-ups or sit-ups – the nature does not judge!
How to Face the Cold? – Fear vs. Protection
We now surely know that winter is the best time for outdoor activities and exercising, yet no one at that time is protected from sport-related traumas and other dangers. Firstly, one has to prepare to face the cold temperature. If a person fails to dress warmly, he/she risks of having their body temperature fall below 35 degrees Celsius. Such condition is called Hypothermia; one’s organs start to shut down, a person starts shivering, later turn drowsy and loses consciousness. Sadly, all of the symptoms lead to a fatal ending.
It is considerably easy to protect ourselves from the cold – we only need warm clothing and waterproof footwear; the latter is essential as frozen limbs often mean amputation. Despite being able to cover ourselves from head to toe, our face is often left uncovered. Face skin is delicate and sensitive and, depending on various skin types, it can react to cold weather conditions differently. In this case, we encourage everyone to add rich face cream to one’s cosmetics bag during wintertime. Mentioned cream creates a protective layer and does not allow the skin to completely dry out. Besides, the product provides excellent antioxidant protection and have anti-inflammatory properties.
How to Stay on Feet? – Slip vs. Grip
As soon as the first snow falls, people can’t seem to stay on their feet – as if they have forgotten how to keep the balance! Soon A&E Hospital departments fill will poor ones, who have stepped on icy surfaces, slipped, and awkwardly landed. While lucky ones experience severe muscle strains, not so lucky ones have broken bones. Indeed, slip and fall accidents are not only very common but also costly; it takes at least two months for a broken bone to heal completely. Such trauma means you will have to wait another year to enjoy winter, but – hey! – use this time wisely, plan and prepare for next year winter adventures!
The main reason for these injuries is wrongly chosen footwear; all winter boots must provide its wearer better traction and grip, so one does not slip and fall. While it is relatively easy to watch where are you going while walking, it’s several times harder to do that while playing sports – here you must react to various environment changes very quickly. Fresh snow can also hide slippery ice surface underneath; therefore, to protect oneself from falls, he/she must do both wear good winter shoes and be attentive. However, unfortunate situations are always just around the corner – do not hesitate to go to the hospital if your slip and fall accident was more of a serious one. Yet if you simply slipped and bruised your skin, try using CBD Cooling Gel, which also helps relax tense muscles and relieves soreness!
We have familiarized you with ways to protect yourself from harsh winter conditions – now you are officially allowed to enjoy winter and exercise outdoors like professional. Here at Biomedicanna, we love winter, and more than that we love being healthy and doing sports – every day we successfully connect these two passions and enjoy playing various outdoor winter games, which serve as serious full-body workouts. Now we challenge you and your friends to try at least a few winter activities that our team have tried and recommend!
- Build a snowman
- Go down a hill on sledges
- Try ice skating
- Have a snowball fight
- Try skiing
- Go for a walk (with your pet) at snowy park or forest
- Make a snow angel
Stay safe and enjoy snow while we can!