Living in the Midwest, we all know there are many months of cold weather starting anywhere from the fall months through the spring. When it comes to fitness, there are some things that you can do to prepare your body to prevent any injuries.
Aerial performers and master teachers Brett Womack & Rachel Bowman have written a blog specifically on warming up for aerial training. Here are four tips they have written for your consideration:
1. Invest more time in your warm-up!
Just as with a car, the body also takes longer to warm up in Winter. A cold start can result in injury, since training without an adequate warm-up can lead to shock in muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.Get to class early and get moving with some light skipping, Jumping Jacks or on the spot jogging to get the body warm.If you are training on an outdoor rig, warm up inside where it is warm if possible.
2. Keep moving!
Just as important as proper preparation is the way you go about completing your class or aerial training. Once class is over, cool down for a few minutes with some aerial specific stretches (if you are unsure what stretches to do, ask your coach for guidance), so that your muscles do not become stiff.In cold weather, muscles cool down very quickly, so any by-products from contraction can not be flushed out of the bloodstream in time. This results in painful muscle spasms and even injury if they are later “torn apart”. If you push hard at the end of your class or training session by running an act or conditioning intensely, make sure you don’t sit or lie down immediately after reaching exhaustion – this will cause circulation to drop very fast and your muscles will stiffen.
3. Dress warmly!
The fact that Winter aerial training requires warm clothing should be pretty obvious. It is easy, however, to underestimate temperatures, especially if you've spent the day working from home in your PJ's with the heat blasting ahead of going to the aerial studio or rig.Dressing for the cold is best done according to the well-known “onion principle”, which suggests you dress in easy-to-remove layers to allow for changes in body temperature. A long sleeved Unitard under a sweater as well as socks that can be removed after warming up for example. Be sure to wear enough layers and that the extremities are covered since they radiate a large amount of heat.
4. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables!
Support your immune system with a balanced, vitamin and mineral rich diet. Any form of root vegetables, all types of cabbage and winter salads such as lettuce, chicory or radicchio are all great choices and easy to come by this time of year. Winter fruit like tangerines, pomegranates and all-season varieties like pears and apples provide you with an extra dose of vitamins to help make you resistant to the cold.
For additional reading, Adam Annaccone has written a BLOG for NASM.org that talks about warming up in the cold months and its benefits. He even provides a Dynamic Warm-Up Program with example exercises to try
Let us know what you like to do to warm up!
Written by: Alicia Schroder
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