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Winter workouts
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Exercise helps fight winter depression
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Wintry weather often derails workouts. Winter blues, the fog and chill of dawn, the short days, the cold evenings, and the comfort of a warm bed sap resolve. Winter is also the season of comfort food, and most people put on a few kilos during the hol
idays. Exercise in cold weather has its benefits and risks. Though winter blues make it difficult to get out of bed, making the effort helps. Exercise is a known mood elevator and helps fight winter depression. With few exceptions, 30 minutes of exercise every day is a must, and most people can achieve it with precautions.
People with heart disease can have chest pain sooner and frequently in cold weather. Cold air can trigger airway spasms in asthmatics. Exercising indoors, or outdoors in the late afternoon, is ideal for such people. Asthmatics and cardiac patients should have their medication handy. If cold weather has triggered an attack of asthma in the past, a couple of puffs of your asthma inhaler medication before exercise may be beneficial. Consult your physician before making changes in your dosage.
Cold muscles need longer warm-up times, and injuries are less common after a thorough warm-up. Late afternoon is the ideal time for exercise as the muscles are already warm by this time.
The right clothing makes a difference when exercising outdoors. Wearing multiple layers of clothing helps keep warm. The inner layer should be a synthetic material which draws sweat away from body surface. The outermost layer should be a breathable fabric like cotton. In chilly weather, wear a face scarf or a ‘monkey cap’ to warm the air you breathe. Wear gloves if the weather is damp and cold.
Cold, dry air can be dehydrating, and it is important to drink water frequently during exercise.
Fog decreases visibility and it is important to wear reflective clothing when exercising outdoors in misty weather. The roads tend to be wet in the morning, and grass is often slippery with dew at dawn. It is important to wear shoes with traction to lessen the chance of falls on a wet surface.
RAJIV. M
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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