The Manhattan Times

Runners beware, safe steps to wintertime workouts

by Adam Garrett-Clark

For die-hard urban athletes, the winter months are just one more hurdle to leap while staying fit in the city. By the feel of it, this winter looks like it will be particularly cold. And this week marks the first appearances of black ice on the streets and sidewalks.

Cold weather exertion can be healthy and safe, say physicians at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, as long as athletes take proper precautions.

According to Dr. Holly Andersen, director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, in low temperatures blood vessels narrow and constrict blood flow to prevent heat loss.

“This is a natural response that can also put people with heart conditions and those involved in strenuous exercise at greater risk of having a heart attack,” she said. 

Dr. William Levine, director of sports medicine at the hospital, also points out that cold air constricts the airways leading to the lungs, making it harder to breath.

Exercise in cold temperatures can exacerbate a condition called exercise-induced asthma, a condition that is sensitive to weather changes.

To prepare the body for both of these stress elements, doctors recommend a warm up session, ideally indoors, before physical activity out in the elements.

A light jog on a treadmill, a few minutes on a stationary bike, or even a couple of rigorous sun salutations are recommended – anything to get the blood pumping Levine said.

Until recently, conventional wisdom advised that stretching was the most important thing to do before exercising.

“That whole concept has been challenged recently,” Levine said, saying new studies have found that warming up the body and getting the blood pumping is much more beneficial. Stretching should follow after the body has warmed up.

You are more likely to cause an injury while stretching cold, brittle muscles Levine said.

Warming up is sound advice all year-round, but even more important in the colder months he said.

In his work at the orthopedic department Levine sees a lot of broken ankles, elbows, wrist fractures and hip fractures during the winter season. Most of these injuries are ice related slips and falls, he said. After the season’s first appearance of black ice on the streets, Levine said he sees “a phenomenal increase of injuries” in the emergency room. 

Black ice is deceptively dangerous, he said, because it’s so hard to spot and prepare footing. He advises hyper awareness of the surroundings during winter exercise.

Clothing is also an important consideration.

Overexposure to the cold can lead to frostbite or winter itch – a flaking of the skin from dry winter air, often made more arid from indoor heating. But too many layers of clothing can get uncomfortable and lead to overheating.

Levine recommends finding a balanced number of layers, and wearing outer layers that can be easily removed during a workout to regulate body temperature.