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Get ready to hit the road
Yes, it’s spring — last week’s weather not withstanding — and people are ready to make the switch from winter’s lethargy to warmer weather’s training and conditioning. After what seems to have been an endless cold season, it’s time to jog, run, cycle or whatever raises your heart rate and lowers your weight.
Thinking about this made me wonder: What should a person do when picking up the exercise pace in spring? Not knowing what to tell you, I turned to three people who train seriously and help others do so as well: Angela Barnhill, wellness director at the Kate and Billy Harrison Family YMCA; Mary Whitwell, a trainer there and a triathlete; and Michael Forrester, president of the Rocky Mount Endurance Club. Each offered several good points about the seasonal switch. Distilled, the highlights include:
- Respect spring weather, but don’t fear it. Become acclimated to warmer weather before starting your hard workout schedule. Make sure that you do not become dehydrated, and have water handy when you work out. Know the signs of heat stress.
But don’t let the changing weather keep you from exercising outside. If you know it’s going to be hot later in the day, exercise at a cooler time. And, while you don’t want to run in a thunderstorm, a gentle jog in the rain can be a pleasurable thing.
A corollary to this is, dress for the weather. Look for workout clothes in “technical” fabrics, which wick away sweat to keep you cool. Have an extra clothing layer handy in case the weather changes. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen.
Think safety. With more people on the road, make sure that you can be seen during a workout by wearing reflective clothing. There’s safety in numbers; exercise with a buddy. Work out in safe areas. Make sure someone at home knows where you’re going to be working out and when you’ll be back. Carry a cell phone with you if you’re going to be some distance away, say cycling in the countryside.
Get out of the training grind. Varying your workout keeps your body from being accustomed to the same exercise, which will slow your improvement. A cross-training regimen will alternate days of, say, running and cycling and swimming with kettle bells and free weights. Even simple things can offer a workout: Carry hand weights with you while you walk, doing various lifts as you go. And there’s more to exercise than strength work; remember to add yoga or pilates to improve flexibility.
Of course, there’s more to training than this, but I hope these ideas will help you get started on your warm weather conditioning program. And I’d like to offer my thanks to Angela, Mary and Mike for their help.
By the way, if you’re interested in a race for a good cause, the Movin’ For Community Outreach 5k starts at 9 a.m. Saturday at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church in Tarboro. The benefit for the Tarboro Community Outreach Center Inc., a nonprofit community-service agency, also includes a quarter-mile fun run for children. Registration is $17 through Friday and $20 on race day.
What are your plans for getting in shape? Why not share them by commenting on this blog or by e-mailing Ross.
Comments
By Michael
April 3, 2009 12:10 AM | Link to this
Nice write up Ross. Keep up the training. You are looking better every time I see you.