A lot of people who live in cold weather climes take the winter to hibernate, so to speak, staying indoors when possible and limiting their exercise. After all, if you’re used to running on picturesque paths or cycling to and from work, you may be reluctant to engage in these activities in the mundane confines of a fitness center.
As such, the spring tends to see an increase in the number of people exercising outdoors. As the weather warms up, those workout spaces that have remained out of reach for months suddenly become available again, and the allure of wide open spaces will be too tempting to pass up.
We commend anyone who wants to get back out there and exercise. That said, if you’ve taken the past months off or you’ve cut back on your workout routine, you have to be sure to give yourself time to reach the optimum levels you were at before cold weather sent you indoors. If you try to push yourself too hard too fast, you could sustain an injury that keeps you inside longer than you would have liked.
A new report provides some important tips geared toward those who are transitioning to all sorts of outdoor workouts with the coming of spring. If you fall into this category, then make sure to keep the injury prevention advice in mind as the sun peeks out from behind the clouds.
We already hinted that you’ll want to take things relatively slow, and that also means knowing when to throw in the towel. When the weather is beautiful and you’ve been dealing with months of awful, you could push yourself to head outside when your body isn’t quite ready. Instead, give your body time to recuperate from an intense exercise program or any soreness or injuries incurred. If the weather is simply too pristine to pass up, then think about taking part in some sort of stretching program, something light that can activate your body while not overtaxing you.
It’s not just dedicated workouts that need special care. Activities that you start up again in the spring also need to be approached with caution. The orthopaedic surgeon interviewed at the link above sagely notes that someone who wants to prep their garden anew for the spring shouldn’t spend hours at the task. Your body isn’t ready for this kind of intensive activity yet. You’ll be bending, twisting, and moving your limbs in any number of directions, and after the first day, you’re going to be pretty sore.
Just like anything else, take the time to ease into gardening. In fact, apply this same kind of caution to spring cleaning, walking the dog, and just about any other activity that takes you outdoors to enjoy the weather.
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