By Ricky Laxa
Staff Writer
“Gradual change of weather should not hamper you in achieving fitness goals” says Warren
Diaz, an IFBB competition and awardee from Australia. As Kuwait takes on cold weather in coming months, fitness buffs worry about slower process from fat burning to cutting their form into desired shapes as cold weather can restrict if not hinder such transformation.
Diaz said that such perception is incorrect as weather changes should not be a factor for anyone who strictly follow their fitness regimens with determination and discipline. “It’s true that the body tend to store more fats during cold weather, but choice of healthy and low calories food paired with more rigid workouts can work even better when working out on hot weather conditions” stressed Diaz.
Several fitness trainers claimed that cold weather can augment resistance to heart and lungs to further increase intensity and duration as cold weather brings about cold chills that can somehow reduce exhaustion unlike the hot season that due to heat can quickly consume resistance and stamina.
In an article published online by Sports Performance quoted that Moderately paced, 50–90-minute workouts in chilly air are fantastic for breaking down fat, but slight adjustments in the workout schedule can force the fat-burning fires to kindle particularly fiercely.
One strategy is to exercise for an hour in the evening about three hours after dinner. Eating after workout is not advisable, and then complete another 60-minute effort on the following morning before breakfast. Muscles will be quite glycogen depleted during the sunrise session, forcing fat to be metabolized at a higher than usual rate.
All of this sounds fine, but cold season exercise is not all easy too. One of the problems with it is that we can simply get too cold. Oddly enough, the danger usually doesn’t originate in the frosty air per se but in the combination of frigid air and sweat. After all, cold air doesn’t shut down the sweating process, and we begin to lose heat at an accelerated rate as our clothing becomes saturated with moisture.
Water is a terrible insulator (it conducts heat away from the body about 25 times faster than air), so sweat- soaked clothes can transform an initially comfortable workout into what feels like an arctic expedition.
This can be especially dangerous if fatigue or injury produces a sudden downturn in exercise intensity. It’s a good idea to tie an extra-thick sweatshirt around your waist during all wintry excursions. You can put it on just in case the wind picks up or you become too tired to exercise vigorously.
The cold weather affects our body in several aspects. If we plan to stay active in this weather, there are plenty of factors we can do to ensure we do not endure any unnecessary injuries due to the its effects: remain hydrated, Increase intake before and after a workout with plenty of carbohydrates, wear layers, warm-up prior to workout, be cautious of cooldowns (you do not want to cool down too much and not be able to warm up in time) and listen to your body.
Frank Vincent, fitness trainer and coach at Energy Gym in Salmiyah added that there is a struggle to keep warm during the cold season especially while working out in the gym for that most gyms would provide heating system that can regulate the temperature in the venue but for those without, it is wise to wear not layered but thicker clothes to insulate the body. Hydration is a must and higher volume of hot liquid is a must. “Stay extra active throughout the cold season and don’t bring your body to succumb to cold weather excuses” ended Vincent.
