Walking In The Cold

[Ticitytaz]

This week winter is rearing it's ugly head here in the midwest. I have been useing the end of my lunch to go go get in a nice 10 minute walk on the trail by my office most days for the last few weeks. With winter setting in I am hopeing I can still get that lunch walk in. I am thining about bringing some extra warmer clothes to try and get out there most days but I now there are going to be some days taht are just to dang cold. 

Thanks for listening to my monolog.

[Odyssey13]

@Ticitytaz  Bring a pair of superwarm socks. I heard the midwest is getting an early blast of winter. On the cold days, is there a way to walk inside the office area to get in those steps?

I hate the cold and it's far too easy to sit by the warm wood stove. I found out last year that carrying wood in my left hand keeps me from getting more steps. This year I'll try to hold it in the right hand to get in those extra steps.

[WendyB]

Also if you have a Costco they carry some Hand warmersyou can put in your gloves.I use them all the time

[SilviaFitbit]

@Ticitytaz I hope you can continue with your lunch walks and wear warm clothes to do it, if not you may get freeze in the middle of the walk 

[Ticitytaz]

Thanks for all the support everyone. Tomorow it is suppose to be a high of 31. But I am going to go home and throw some supper in the crock pot at lunch so I think I will just pop down stairs and ride the stanory bike for 10 minutes. I woun't get steps but I will get osme active minutes.  

[Telle]

I don't mind the cold, but I worry about walking in snow and ice for fear of falling.  So I've invested in a pair of Yaktrax (https://www.yaktrax.com/product/walk) and they really help grip on the ice so that you don't slip.

[Ticitytaz]

Well it snwed and iced last night instead of just getting cold. My wife stayed home so I don;t have to go home over lunch. Right now the trail behind the office looks icey but we will see what it looks like at noon. It is also currently a windchill of 9 so hopefully that comes up a little before lunch. I have two sweatchirts here so I might give it a try. If ti is to cold I will just cut it short. A little is better then nothing right. 

[jwishart86]

Any stores near your office where you can get to quickly and just walk around in warmth for your 10 minutes?

[TCG]

If you have a place like Gander Mountain or Bass Pro shops near you, check out their hunting gear, they have great stuff for the outdoors that will keep you warm but won't weigh you down. I had thinselet gloves when I use to ride horses and they were very warm but not bulky. They also have battery powered socks that will keep your feet warm and dry. Keep moving even if it just in your chair, dance like no one is watching. 🙂

[Ticitytaz]

I double layered the swetchirt and got my ussual walk in today. I am guessing by how I felt that as long as the windchill is above zero, it was 8 when I went for my walk, I whould be able to get out. Thanks for all the support!!

[Odyssey13]

@TicitytazYour wife have a Fitbit? She must be proud of you for walking and making good health choices.

How cold does it generally get in your area when it's really winter?

[WendyB]

@Ticitytaz Brr thats cold. The coldest it gets here is 21.

So good for you getting out there!

[Ticitytaz]

@Odyssey13 

Usually we get highs in the mid 30's in the dead of winter but there are always cold snaps. That just aren;t this early usually. I think last winter we had a week where it didn;t get above 5 degrees. But then later in same winter we had a week with highs in the 50's and 60's. They always say in Nebraska that if oyu don;t like the weather wait a day and it will change. 🙂

Yes my wife has a fitbit as well we both got them about the beging of last month. We are tyring to make some like style changes. 🙂

[Odyssey13]

@TicitytazFantastic! It's nice to see a couple doing this together.

I hope you don't get all the snow and ice this year to keep you from your walks. Winters vary from year to year and I personally never believe the groundhog because he lies!

[Heybales]

I discovered for walking outside from work (though yours sounds like perhaps from home, so doesn't matter), there was a need for keeping the core light since heat built up easily, but the extremities insulated better.

I know that goes opposite of the thermal vests with no arms theory, but my arms/hands would get cold, even with gloves, while core was warm enough to start back sweating, that's not needed, and in fact can be pretty bad if out long enough the cold still seeps in, wet and cold, not a good mix.

Biking cold weather gear includes these thin to thick arm warmers, which can work great. Roll them under long sleeve shirt before going out, covered. They also have knee and knee/calf warmers of same thing. If you can get your pant legs rolled up enough, might be able to roll those up too.

Also preferred ear muffs over hat, not only for remaining hair not to be hat hair, but also because it let heat escape better but ears were warm. Chimney effect.

[karenstl]

Yep, I'm in the Midwest as well and know exactly what you mean. Here in MO it's been in the 30's and we've already gotten snow.  In fact, I started walking a few miles at lunch a couple of weeks ago when temps were in the 30's and I ended up getting a pretty sore throat so just be careful.

So after getting a wicked sore throat and being down and out all last week, I decided to go ahead and just join my local gym rather than try to fight the weather. It's cheap enough, close to my house and is nearly a ghost town at lunch time so it made the most sense to just do that. However, I would definitely advise to look into 'Hot Hands' next time you go to Walmart. They are hand warmers and they work great. I believe they also make something for socks as well. Good luck!

[Liz1911]

I am personally dreading walking in the cold, I am coming back to the states for the first time in 2 years in mid-Jan from a tropical island. I watch the weather channel and my stomach drops. 

Anyone have tips on staying warm on the bitter cold east coast?

[Heybales]

---

@Liz1911 wrote:

I am personally dreading walking in the cold, I am coming back to the states for the first time in 2 years in mid-Jan from a tropical island. I watch the weather channel and my stomach drops. 

Anyone have tips on staying warm on the bitter cold east coast?

---

http://walking.about.com/od/cold/a/coldlayers.htm

More layers or thicker for what isn't being used, thinner for what will get warm. Start out cold, you will warm up. Last thing you want is sweating.

[loveabull]

I have two dogs who go bonkers unless we get a daily walk no matter how cold it is. The hand and foot warmers are one of the best inventions ever. I also found a jacket at Target. It's from the men's department. The women's jackets I tried on were trying to more stylish and sleek than warm. I don't care about cute and stylish when I'm frozen.

The one that I found is a two toned parka-gray and black. It has a face fitting hood and is polyester fill. It's easy machine washable and water repellent and lined everywhere-hood, pockets, sleeves. It also has numerous pockets including a special one that will hold an electronic device, keep it warm, plus an opening within for earphones.

I'm not sure the brand but for around fifty bucks it's excellent quality and warm as toast. Lightweight too.

[LewWagner]

I layer up when the temp here in Birmingham, AL is in the 30's or 40's.  It's a damp cold (much different than in Mesa, AZ).  I wear a long sleeve Land's End cotton pullover shirt under a fleece running jacket.  I wear light gloves, a full head elastic mask, and/or a hat.  I wear sweat pants.  As I progress in my walk/jog/run, I heat up and start to shed items (usually start unzipping my jacket more and more).  The hat has a drawstring on it so it just gets hung off my neck and down my back.  The head wind/cold protective mask gets rolled up and shoved into one of my fleece jacket pocktes.  The gloves come off next and go into the other pocket.

Eventually, the ambient temp increases enough and along with my higher body temp, I can shed the jacket, hold the sleeves and twilrl the body of the jacket around the arm axis and then wrap this around my waist and tie the two sleeves in the front.

Tha't how I "cool" down.  But, I'll admit that I'm not a cold weather runner.  That's why I have a recumbent bike at home with a fan for ventilation and cooling as well as a TV to watch while I'm on the bike.