Winter and exercise.

Why most people fail with their new year exercise resolutions.

Is there a better alternative ?

The best stroke of luck I ever had in terms of contact I had with a locum GP (General Practitioner) covering for our regular doctor while he was on his winter holiday, was the time when I had an accidental Gastroc tear in the woods one stunningly cold morning just before Christmas. Not only did he recognize instantly what I had done, how long I would need off work and exactly what rehab my injury needed. It turned out that the main reason he knew all of that was that his last full time job had been as chief medical officer in the Royal Marines down at CLC Lympstone and there, had treated several recruits with spontaneous muscle tears like the one i’d just experienced.

What does this have to do with winter and exercise ?

Answer….not very much except that the reason my muscle tear happened was because I was in a non warmed up state at the beginning of an exercise session and had I had the nous to do a proper warm up before leaving the house then it most likely wouldn’t have occurred.

My little story about getting a winter muscle tear is what got me to the ‘posh’ gym because they were the only gym staying open and having a swimming pool to do my rehab exercises and eventually a main gym to work in. It was my second or third year of regularly doing free weights at the gym that I suddenly noticed a large influx of new members all in posh new trainers and workout clothes although within 3 weeks it went back to being winter quiet again.

What actually happened that day was I was working out on the bench press with a fairly moderate amount of weight on the bar (I was always weak because of my loooong arms !) when an obvious newbie replete with shiny new training clothes jumped straight in when I wasn’t on the bench for a moment and made a complete mess of his first attempted rep. He unracked the bar, just about, and had it on his chest but couldn’t press it up from there and was basically trapped under the weight while flat on his back. His wife was looking around in alarm for someone to help with hubby until I an another regular stepped in racked the weight for him……a minute later and they both left the gym and I never saw them in there again.

I think most of us can recognize the pattern here as many of us have been there and done that – not just failed with our diet and exercise during the party time of Christmas and new year but then also made wildly optimistic new years resolutions about ‘losing weight’ and ‘getting fit’ while not having a plan, or the real intention, of making those things happen. I think now that anyone who starts some kind of ambitious training or dietary regime change in January is onto a losing streak almost straight away – unless of course they have a will of steel…..and how many of us have that ?

Give it even a moments thought and it surely becomes obvious that starting some kind of exercise program at this time of year, especially one taken outdoors, is a really bad and even dangerous idea and that’s even before the reality of everyday failure kicks in. It’s probably at it’s worst and yet most obvious for anyone who takes up the idea of outdoor running at this point in the year – not only wet, dark and cold when most people have their leisure time but, around here, there’s the added danger from cars in the narrow lanes…..and most of them are either stupid or don’t give a monkeys cuss about pedestrians or joggers.

This time of year I see a slight increase in the number of joggers and I also see that many of them are having a bit of a struggle with the effort : while I can admire what they’re doing and hope that they last the course I know that many won’t because there’s too many things working against them – most of which is internal to them themselves.

Is there a better alternative ?.

To be out there, jogging say, on a cold and wet day is not only a grueling physical experience and one intentionally marred by certain types of driver but it’s also a lonely one : while I enjoy time out on my lonesome that isn’t the case for many, especially women, who choose to exercise. For any that prefer social contact over isolation other venues and other activities work out better : a popular gym can be one as is the sociable nature of some swimming pools and even better is either one that includes organized classes. For various reasons those things never worked for me and yes I understand that for many whom would like to join a group there can be anxiety about one is accepted or perceived but groups that are competent say and have effective people running them rather then elitist ones then that problem is minimized.

One thing I often heard is that women often stated that their reason for feeling uncomfortable in what they see as a masculine space and in the same way say that their discomfort is being judged or leered at by the ‘male view’. If that’s the case then try a different gym and a different venue as ones that accept beginners often have a better mix of men and women working out and to be honest (in my experience) most men working out are concentrating on their own efforts rather than the bodies and attire of the women also working out.

Can it happen and does it happen ? apparently yes but then there’s also some work to suggest that the harsher judgement doesn’t come from the gym ‘bros’ but the elegantly made up and skimpily dressed gym babes – female competitiveness at work perhaps.

Winter and exercise then…..what to do if you can’t do very much.

I like to finish these posts with something positive to take away rather than the negatives of our all too common failures so here’s my slightly cheeky version of Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for life – mine being 12 rules for exercise in winter.

1. That exercise is a fundamentally good idea and it’s worth doing something rather than nothing – most people don’t exercise at all and this, alongside their standard American/English diet is why the overall health of the nation is so poor.
2. We might consider one of Dr Peter Attia’s main points which is that the best increase in overall health from exercise is at the point of going from nothing to just 15 minutes a day. Think about this for a moment – what would it take, honestly, out of your day to take 15 minutes not sat in front of your TV being force fed mindless crap but instead doing something relatively painless such as walking the dog…..it’s ok if you don’t have a dog – pretend that you have and pretend to walk it.
3. Fifteen minutes taken out of even a working day could be as simple and basic as taking a walk during your break rather than sitting around in the staff room talking about going to the gym. In the same idea going to a dance class and maybe making a bit of a tit of yourself is infinitely better than endlessly discussing strictly at break time.
4. Walking is a great exercise especially if you have physical limitations such as dodgy knees and/or back pain – the movement of walking is pretty low stress on joints and tends to relieve rather than increase musculo-skeletal pain. Many people that I know, whom were once runners inevitably ended their running careers with injuries of some kind, even as far as torn ligaments and joint replacements. While many don’t have the fitness or sheer toughness to run on difficult trails most could walk those trails and gain more from doing so.
5. Take what you can get and don’t assume that exercise has to be tough and grueling to get any benefit from it. Much better for you if you commit to half an hours walk, complete it and maybe come home with a clear head rather than forcing yourself into something that you fundamentally dislike.
6. Don’t assume that the standard ways of going about exercise are the only ones – aside from the pool, the road and the gym there are things like dance classes, introductory sessions to other sports and things such as walking groups for those that benefit from group activities.
7. In the winter always always do a physical warm up before starting any vigorous exercise – take on board one thing that a senior Royal Marine PT used to say “if you haven’t got time to warm up then you haven’t got time to train”
8. Learn a new sport or skill that has a physical component. Around this part of the world it might be rowing a gig or doing a river trip in a canoe – in other areas it might be learning to ride (riding a pony is surprisingly physical !)
9. Consider not starting a vigorous, outdoor running, or gym based exercise regime in the winter but leave it until Easter : for running it will be warmer, dryer and lighter and in the gyms they will have all gone quiet. For now….take some walks and go for swim in a well managed pool.
10. Take the time to make an actual plan and not a hopeful resolution, take the time to find what you enjoy and ultimately what challenges you and keeps you interested and engaged.