Below is my post from the Healthy Living Blogs series called "How do you healthy living habits change with the seasons?" Enjoy!
It’s 6:30 a.m. on a Tuesday. The sun is just starting to peak high enough to cast some light. You walk out of the house and are hit with a blast of dampness that seeps into your pores and that hair-do you spent time on? Forget it.
It’s a frizzy mess already. Get in the car and turn on the A/C immediately. It’s so humid the cool air from the vents comes out whispy white and is actually visible. Drive to work and once there, make a mad dash back into the A/C, or sacrifice your nice clean shirt to back sweat. Contemplate what today’s forecast high of 96F and a 75F degree dewpoint means for your planned 6 mile training run. Slow down? Bring water with? Leave the iPod for fear of shorting it out with your sweat? All of the above.
Sounds like a scene from anywhere but Minnesota, doesn’t it. Nope! Those are typical summer days here in July and August. Living here means living with all four seasons. And with the bad, there is definitely good.
Of course we are more known for our winters here then our summers. You usually see Al Roker talking about the Nations Ice Box, International Falls, Minnesota! in the dead of winter. Brr it’s cold there! In reality, there are much colder places in the region. I lived in one in college. Two words:
windchill factor. So how does one stay active despite all this? You have to adapt.
If it there is one thing you can count on here when talking to a stranger (or not!), it’s some comment about the weather. Even though us Minnesotans take pride in our hearty winter-surviving souls, a lot of us still complain about it.
Notice I said us. Usually right around the first week of February, people start to get real tired of snow and below zero temps. There is almost a restlessness in the air and then, like the past week, we are given a day in the mid 40’s with sunshine and without fail people are out in droves walking, biking, running, and driving with their windows down. That bitter cold is soon forgotten.
Get in Gear
There was a radio commercial a few years back that said “There is no bad weather, just bad gear.” I completely agree especially when talking about winter activities. Over the years, my collection of winter running gear has grown and I can say that I am comfortable running in temperatures that are below zero.
Granted, the mileage for those runs isn’t extreme, but getting outside on a peaceful crisp winter day can be priceless. It really depends on the temperature, but for anything near 20F, running tights, a layer of looser fitting pants over those, 2-3 shirts; one being a wicking tech shirt made for the cold, a neck warmer or gaiter, hat, and gloves, and you are set my friend.
(If you know you will be running mostly on packed snow, you can get attachments with grips or spikes for your shoes.) When it starts to warm up into the mid 30’s and 40’s you will find yourself thinking that they are the best temperatures to run in. Don’t forget to drink water. Just because you aren’t sweating as much as in the summer doesn’t mean you don’t still need water.
Of course there are those who are much more hardcore than me and can be seen bike commuting to work on the coldest and snowiest of days. To them, I tip my hat. My low temperature threshold is about 0F with windchill. I hope I don’t have to turn in my Minnesota card now!
Have a back-up plan
There are days – winter and summer – where the weather will throw your best laid plans awry. Sleet, thunderstorms, dangerous windchills...it can be crazy out there. Right now I belong to a commercial gym, but for many years I relied on home workouts when it was too cold or too dangerous to be running or biking outdoors. For me this meant getting creative with workout DVD’s, lifting weights (I am lucky to have a good set at home), and doing interval type work around the house. Think jumping jacks, kettlebell swings, running the stairs, jump rope, etc. Because one morning you might wake up to this. This kind of snow collapses sports stadiums. You might not be going anywhere for a while:
Embrace the season
Even though I do my fair share of complaining, I have learned to embrace the current season. Right now, that means winter. And with this recent stretch of warmed up weather, it also means potentially dangerous, unstable running conditions due to packed snow, slushy snow, and icy spots. So instead of running on a paved trail, I take to the streets where they are mostly dry and you can avoid the ankle sprain hazards of packed, bumpy snow.
And I have to give a shout out to one of natures best homemade workouts: snow shoveling. Now, I know not everyone has a really long driveway to shovel like me, and if they do they might have been smart enough to have purchased a snow blower at some point. I secretly don't mind shoveling! Shh don't tell my husband. Many times I will shovel after coming home from the gym still wearing my Polar Heart Rate Monitor and have tracked how many calories it burns. In an hour I have burned over 200 calories easily.
Conversely, the summer can present many challenges. And not just temperature wise. I have been caught out running miles away from home when the skies turn dark and ominous. The wind picks up and before you know it tornado sirens are sounding. This can usually be avoided by some smart planning (not always the case on my part) by checking the radar before leaving. Lightening and hail can be very dangerous as well and are nothing to mess with. I have been caught in many a downpour and to be honest, it’s sorta fun. There is something invigorating about being alone with your thoughts in the rain.
Eat Minnesotan
No, not lefse, Spam, or lutefisk. Since our growing season is short here, you have to take advantage of the local produce when you can. Farmer’s Markets are huge in the Twin Cities metro and keep growing. They are a great place to stock up. I also keep a small garden in my backyard and am happy to have zucchini, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers at my disposal. I think Fall is one of the best times to eat local. I love squash, pumpkin, and apples – all of which can be found plentiful from September to November. Did you know the Honeycrisp apple was developed right here at the University of Minnesota? Yum. I wish I had one right now. Speaking of, winter means expensive and often times sad looking produce. I like to buy frozen fruit and veggies in the winter. I think they are a great alternative and are usually pretty good quality.
If you do make it here, there is something to be enjoyed about each season.
One of the best fall days I can recall lately was for the Twin Cities Marathon and 10 mile race. I ran the 10 mile and you couldn’t ask for better weather, or a more beautiful course. Here I am at the finish with my fan club:
No matter what the weather throws at me, I know I will continue to stay active through it all. Having different seasons brings change and excitement as well as never really getting bored with the same routine.
How do your healthy habits change with the seasons?
Not an actual tropical island. 
