Over the last month I can’t tell you the number of times that I have heard the phrase “I’m done with it!” The “it” being winter.
It is hard to have a good attitude about the 11th coldest winter in history and the highest snowfall (according to WISH TV) , but there is nothing we can do about it and all the complaining in the world won’t make spring come any sooner. What we can do is make the best of white stuff that has blanketed our fair city.
Snow Shoveling
Snow shoveling is a pain, but so is making it to the gym during the winter. Instead of going to the gym you can get your workout in your front yard. I have been doing a lot of snow shoveling lately and today I decided to strap on a heart rate monitor and see how many calories that I burnt while shoveling. It took me just over 40 minutes and I burnt 376 calories with a max heart rate of 146bpm. A great workout without leaving the house and a side benefit of improving neighbor relations. Snow Shoveling can be tough and lead to lower back pain and neck pain, so make sure to check out my Snow Shoveling 101 post.
Cross Country Skiing
Cross-country (XC) skiing is a great low impact cardiovascular workout that can be done at a number of locations around Indianapolis. Here is a great resource for XC skiing in Indiana. Broad Ripple park is not list on this site, but I have been told that there is a great trail around the park that can be accessed from the back parking lot. If you are not sure if XC is for you and you don’t to drop a lot of cash on equipment you can check places like Play it Again Sports who sell used sports equipment, Indianapolis Craigslist.org where individuals sell a variety of items and Ebay.com.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing is great because you can do it anywhere you can walk and it requires very little skill outside of knowing how to walk. For more information about places to snowshoe, check out the Rails to Trails website. As with XC skiing you might be able to find snowshoes at used venues such as Play it Again Sports, Craigslist or Ebay. If you don’t have any luck finding used snowshoes you can pick up a new pair from REI for under $100.
Walking/Running
The snow does make it harder to get out and walk/run but that doesn’t mean you can’t. Once of my favorite accessories to help keep you upright while walking or running is YakTrax. YakTrax are “snowshoes light” and slip over your boots and give you a little extra traction. These are great for athletic people and also the elderly who can be unstable in snow.
If winter sports are not your thing, there is always snowman building and subsequent snowman eating and demonstrated below:
