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8 Essential Gadgets for Winter Workouts
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Just because the temperature starts to get chilly, it doesn’t mean that your days of getting exercise outdoors are over until spring returns. From jogging and fat tire biking to hiking and cross-country skiing, there are an abundance of activities for working out in cold weather.
In addition to these winter exercise ideas, it helps to have cold-weather workout gear for when you’re working up a sweat and for warming up after you’re finished. Keep reading to learn about eight essential gadgets to enhance your winter workouts.
1. Activity tracker
Since it’s cold outside, your body burns extra calories just trying to stay warm. And when you add a winter workout to the mix, you can really make some gains in your fitness. With an activity tracker, you can see exactly how your body is responding to your efforts in terms of calories burned and heart rate. If you’re going on a walk or jog, you can also track the number of steps. Some activity trackers also have a GPS feature so you can map your route.
2. Headlamp
Winter mornings can be fairly dark until the sun rises, and the sunset comes earlier at night, so wearing a headlamp to light your path is crucial for working out in the cold. You can find one with a steady light stream or one that has various settings, such as a flashing light or a different color. Not only does this protect you from tripping on an uneven or slick sidewalk, but it also makes you visible to traffic and other winter workout warriors.
3. USB battery pack
Cold temperatures can sap electronics of their battery power much faster than when it’s warm outside. To ensure your MP3 player or cell phone has enough juice while you’re out exercising in winter weather, bring along a portable USB battery pack and a charging cable. This piece of winter workout gear is small enough to fit in a bike storage pouch or your jacket pocket.
4. Compression sleeves and braces
Chilly air can aggravate aches and pains in your body that aren’t present in warmer temperatures. Fortunately, you can find compression sleeves and braces for women’s and men’s winter workout gear. Whether it’s your knee, back or ankle, some compression gear is woven with copper to create a warming effect, which is an extra bonus during winter workouts. While some models are designed to be worn during exercise underneath workout clothes, there are also compression heat wraps for post-workout recovery.
5. Heating pad
Even if you aren’t experiencing pain after exercise, using a heating pad to warm up after coming in from the cold can be extremely soothing. Plus, applying heat can also help aid in recovery after strenuous winter workouts by increasing circulation.
6. Insulated coffee mug
Another way to warm up after working out in the cold is from the inside out. You won’t regret investing in an insulated coffee mug to fill with hot tea, coffee or cocoa. You can even make your favorite hot beverage before heading out to exercise so that it’s ready as soon as you get back home.
7. Water bottle
Just because it’s not hot outside, don’t underestimate your need for hydration during and after winter workouts. A water bottle is an essential piece of winter workout gear because it helps you replenish fluids lost during exercise. You can choose a water bottle that fits nicely in a carrier on your bike, or a larger one ensures you get enough liquids throughout the day.
8. Massage gun
If you are experiencing any muscle tightness in the days following a winter workout, a massage gun will come in handy. Whether you feel the burn in your legs, shoulders or back, you can find massage devices to help release your knots. Also, some shiatsu massagers have heat settings for further comfort.
Enjoy exercising in the winter
As you can see, there’s no need to put off your exercise and fitness routine until the weather warms up again. With these eight essential gadgets for winter workouts, you’ll probably enjoy exercising in colder weather more than ever before. Because as the saying goes, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear.”