Winter can be a great time to cozy up on the couch with heavy blankets and a warm drink of your choosing, but don’t let the cold weather completely keep you from being active! While sticking to a running routine in winter can be challenging, there are many other activities you can do throughout winter to help you keep in shape. Here are a few cold weather alternatives to running that will help you stay fit this winter.
Begin Yoga Workouts
Yoga may not seem to intersect much with running, but in reality could not be a more perfect partner! Yoga improves flexibility, teaches controlled breathing, and can help reduce tension and stress in the body. This makes yoga great for runners in that it focuses on strengthening key muscles while promoting a mindful approach to exercise that can easily transfer over to running.
Not only that, yoga has amazing mental and emotional benefits as well! By learning to concentrate on breathing, center oneself through meditative poses, and methodically relax and tense different parts of the body, yoga can be used over time to better understand one’s own marks of stress and ultimately help achieve a greater sense of personal peace.
While yoga in its most simple form does not require any special clothing or gear, there are some items that make yoga a better experience. We suggest investing in an anti-slip yoga mat and wearing clothing that allows you to freely move throughout the positions. Our socks also provide a great start to your yoga experience, as the five-toe design allows you to grip the mat more effectively and the moisture-wicking properties will lessen the chances of slipping while trying to hold poses.
Join A Spin Class
If cold or snowy winter conditions are deterring you from staying active outside, try enrolling in a spin class! Spinning has many similar health advantages to running and can be equally as beneficial! Because spinning uses your legs in one continuous motion and has little impact on your lower body, spinning is better on your joints while still giving you a great cardio workout.
As spinning can turn into a high-intensity workout very quickly, we recommend wearing the appropriate gear to make sure you get the most out of your experience. Shorts or pants with padded liners ensure there won’t be any chafing, and spin-specific shoes help keep your feet connected to the bike so that you don’t lose any power. As most of your energy while spinning is exerted by pressing down into the pedals, it is important to wear breathable lightweight socks in order to have the best overall performance.
Hit The Gym
Working out at a gym can be very beneficial to runners as you get to choose exercises that target the same muscles used in running. If “hitting the gym” isn’t your thing, you don’t even have to go to your local fitness center – many gym exercises for runners can be done at home so long as you have the space to do them.
As a runner, you should focus on gym exercises that will build strength and agility so you can more easily power yourself forward when running. Squats, planks and side planks, lunges, and kettlebell exercises are great ways to supplement strength training into your running routine. Targeting the muscles involved in these workouts will help improve running performance and lessen the chances of overuse injuries.
Try Indoor Sports
Indoor sports such as soccer, basketball and volleyball can be a great and socially rewarding way to stay active during winter. While getting involved in a recreational league is an easy way to begin a sport, a more affordable option is to check your gym, community center, or sites like Meetup for casual pick-up game listings.
When starting an indoor activity, it is important to get the right performance clothing to minimize the chance of injuries. Our socks allow you to fully splay your toes, giving you better stabilization for the sudden bursts of movements involved in team sports. We suggest shopping our Sport series when looking for the best athletic socks.
