How To Go Outside When It's Frigidly Cold: 6 Tips to Keep You Active All Winter Long
Pennsylvania
Exercising outside is downright pleasant when the weather is warm (but not too hot) and the sun is shining (but not too intensely)... but what about when it's miserably cold outside? "What if the temperatures are so cold that it's downright life-threatening to leave the house if you aren't prepared enough... well, what do I do then, Greg?" you ask.
Outside day 1,609 proved to be one of the most challenging days to get out the door of my entire streak thus far. As the bomb-cyclone winter storm named "Elliot" pummeled the nation, we, unfortunately, left behind the balmy temperatures of Phoenix and exchanged them for the brutal winter of Pittsburgh. As the storm hit, temperatures plummeted to -1°F, with the news channels claiming that windchills were -30°F. Weather bulletins warned that uncovered skin could be frostbitten by the wind in as little as 10 minutes. 45mph wind gusts whipped freshly-fallen snow into blinding clouds. But could I possibly allow my streak to break?
Never!
Pennsyvlania Gray
We bundled up into balls of clothing, staggering against the gale-force wind as branches crashed down from the trees in the forest.
At times, we slogged forward through the snow, hands held in front of our faces to break the wind. While the forest still held a certain beauty, the gray tree trunks coalescing into a wall of gray wood set against a gray Pennsylvania sky, it was one of the most challenging days to enjoy the beauty of the natural world that I've experienced in a long time.
Thankfully, even if you live at a far northern latitude, it's not brutally windy and cold every single day of the winter. But in some places, winter is undeniably long, cold, and dark. So how do you keep going outdoors all winter long?
Here are 6 tips to help you persevere through the cold, dark months.
1. Try a winter-specific sport.
Getting steep and deep on a powder day at Monarch Mountain. Photo: AJ Heil
If you don't already have a winter sport of choice, then it's time to try one out! The changing of the seasons is the perfect opportunity to give yourself a break from your primary sport by trying something a little bit different. The break from the normal not only provides healthy cross-training that will work your muscles, joints, and ligaments in a different way, but it will also provide time for a mental refresh so that you can come back to your main squeeze with a new appreciation. Even if you're still biking, hiking, or running through the winter, reducing your training load by adding in a different winter sport will still provide many of these same benefits, even if you don't quit entirely.
The winter sport you choose could be as complex (and expensive) as snowboarding or skiing, or it could be as basic as buying a cheap pair of snowshoes. Even just strapping on snowshoes and trudging through a winter wonderland proves to be an incredible change of pace from the norm!
2. Dress for the weather, and buy specific gear to enable your adventure.
Colorado
While this may seem obvious on the surface, making sure that you have the critical pieces of gear required to stay warm and safe, even on the coldest days, will make all the difference. If you're truly committed to Outside 365 and you live in an extremely cold environment, you may need to invest in additional gear to enable you to get outdoors.
For instance, I didn't think to pack a pair of ski goggles for our Christmas trip to Pennsylvania, but as the wind whipped the snow through the forest, I realized that a pair of goggles (which were sitting in a box in my van back in Arizona) would have made the entire hike so much more pleasant!
It's also critical that you plan ahead with your gear purchases. You don't want to wait until the temps drop to 20 below zero to buy winter boots and a thick jacket. If you know what temperatures and weather condition winter generally holds in your area of the world, plan ahead in the late fall by buying all the gear that you're going to need. While it might take a bit of monetary investment to dial in your winter kit, the right gear makes all the difference.
See also: Crucial Tactic: Get the Right Gear
3. If possible, go outside during the warmest and sunniest time of day.
Snowshoeing by headlamp after dark can be downright daunting if you haven't done it before. For an easier bar to clear, try to go outside during the heat of the day, when the sun is high in the sky, and the temperatures are at their warmest. If you have a strict work schedule, consider scheduling your mile minimum for your lunch hour every day, and add longer adventures into your weekends and holiday time.
4. Mile minimum on truly life-threatening days.
During our recent foray into winter storm Elliot, the weather bulletin included a wind chill warning due to the distinct possibility of frostbite. On the truly frigidly cold days, or on the days when the wind or other factors make going outside borderline life-threatening, consider sticking to your one-mile minimum. Warmer and more pleasant days are coming soon, even before winter is over. There's no reason to get hurt or injured unnecessarily. Keep the long game in mind, and keep the streak alive.
5. Notice the unique beauty of the winter wonderland around you.
Now we turn to the mental game. Instead of focusing on your hatred of the cold and hating the slog through the snow, take some time to be mindful and bring your awareness to the present moment.
Notice the sparkle of the sun as it reflects off the snow crystals. Notice the unique shape of each individual icicle hanging from the tree branches. Listen to the crunch of the snow underfoot. Notice how the sound of the crunch changes from day to day and week to week with the rising and falling of the outdoor temperature and the water content of the snow. Look for the animal tracks standing out clearly in the fresh snow, and try to guess which animal made them.
Winter provides its own unique, incredible beauty! Make sure you take the time to notice and appreciate the opportunities that the present moment provides.
6. Tell your excuses to fuck off, and just get the thing done.
Winter storm Elliot
Finally, the most critical of all tips: when the going gets challenging, you may just need to tell your excuses to go fuck themselves. The dark, cold days of winter provide the perfect crucible to build your willpower. Now is the time to dig deep inside yourself and find fresh resolve that you might not have realized was hiding there. Forcing yourself to do the hard thing in these moments, especially when you don't feel like it, will eventually teach you that you're capable of doing hard things. You're capable of gathering resolve and overcoming challenges. You have more strength than you thought you did!
And if you keep digging deep, over time you'll soon apply this new-found fortitude and resolve to other areas of your life and realize that you can do all kinds of hard things that you never considered before.
If you apply these 6 tips, you'll soon find yourself adventuring outside every day, all winter long. And as you keep moving and you keep living the Outside 365 lifestyle, suddenly the days will begin to get longer, the temperatures will start to get warmer, and before you know it—spring will be here!
