Brrrring it on

Brrrring it on
By Ann McGlynn from the QC Times| Friday, December 08, 2006


Since crashing on his bike hurts “10 times more” in the winter than in the summer, Jeff Bradley often chooses cross-country skis over a bicycle once the snow and ice hit.

Bradley, the owner of On Two Wheels in Davenport, can usually be found at Duck Creek Golf Course these days, one of the hundreds of runners, bikers, walkers and other outdoor fitness lovers who are changing what they do or how they do it now that winter has set in.

“Anything outdoors is doable,” Bradley said. “There’s ice skating and hockey. A lot of people will switch and go indoors and go to the gym for spinning or aerobics. There’s lots of stuff to do out there, lots of activity indoors or out.”

Cross-country skiing, he said for example, is a great “all body workout, and it’s fun. It gets you outside in the fresh air. It’s really beautiful.”

But no matter the outdoor activity, the American Council on Exercise says proper insulation and consideration of environmental factors is vital.

Specifically, the council offers these tips:

Check the temperature and wind conditions before you go out and do not exercise if conditions are dangerous, or 20 degrees below zero when considering temperature and wind chill.

Keep your head, hands and feet warm. Keeping hands warm is easier than keeping feet warm, as hands can be superficially warmed to return blood flow, the organization said. But to keep feet warm, the rest of your body must be warm.

To do that, dress in layers that can provide a trapped layer of dry air near the skin. Avoid cotton sweats and tightly woven materials.

Warm the air you are breathing if temperatures are below your comfort level, usually around 0 degrees.

The indoor options in the Quad-Cities continue to expand, as well. More clubs are opening throughout the Quad-Cities. Established clubs are beginning to offer their annual winter specials, with a larger variety of classes geared to all fitness levels.

One of the new clubs is Donnie’s Indoor Cycling Experience in Moline, which is catering to bicycle enthusiasts going through warm-weather withdrawal and those who wish to try something different than a traditional club, said owner Donnie Miller.

His high-tech system allows visitors and members to tailor their workouts to specifically what they want or need, he said. One system, for example, allows people to bring in their own bikes, place it in a roller and choose a well-known or local course to “ride” while watching a large-screen television.

Another allows riders to record their ride information and compete against themselves throughout the winter.

Motivation, Miller said, is a struggle when it is cold and dark outside, Miller said.

“It is so easy to say I’m not going to do it today, then three months and 15 pounds later, April comes and you’re out of shape,” he said.

Ann McGlynn can be contacted at (563) 383-2336 or amcglynn@qctimes.com.

Tips for keeping your kids active in the cooped-up months of winter, from the American Council on Exercise, or ACE:

Take your kids with you for a gym workout. YMCAs and health clubs offer a warmer fitness alternative to outside and now have expanded programs for kids and parents, such as parent/child yoga and Pilates, youth circuit classes and family personal training.

Head to the mall for a walk. Many malls are open early for morning walkers and are a great way to get physical activity with the kids. Parents can split up with their children into teams and each can compete to reach a certain store in the shortest amount of time.

Commercial time is “movement time.” Establish “movement time” during commercials when children have to get up and move around the house, either to take the dog outside or put away laundry. Parents can also offer rewards for children who do their activities.

Youth-fitness products keep kids busy indoors. There are a variety of youth-oriented fitness products parents can buy including at-home yoga kits and child exercise videos and games. These would make great holiday or birthday gifts.

ACE recommends children get approximately 60 minutes of physical activity each day, but that can be broken up into intervals anywhere from 10-20 minutes.