If you live in cold climates, January can be tough. The snow and ice begin to feel relentless and it’s really hard to stay motivated to work out. Especially if you’re not a huge fan of gyms. So, what’s a girl to do? Well, buy a set of snowshoes, of course. Before you write me off as insane, keep in mind that snowshoeing is one of the best exercises for making your body stronger. This includes your heart. Not only will an hour of snowshoeing burn more calories than an hour of running, but it’s low impact, fun, and great for your ass. In case you need more motivation than a derriere that is lifted, firm and powerful, try this fact on for size: Working out in the cold and shivering for 15 minutes has the same affect on your body as an hour of moderate exercise according to a recent study in Cell Metabolism magazine. Yep, you read that right. Turns out that cold induced shivering causes our muscles to contract which results in a rise in the hormone irisin. And irisin is what’s responsible for turning our white fat cells into the good, calorie blasting brown kind. I don’t know about you, but think I may need to turn down my thermostat…
The other great thing about snowshoeing is that it’s super easy. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. So, if you want to get in touch with your inner Jesus (walking on water, walking on snow… you can see where I’m going here), give snowshoeing a try. It doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment, but you do need a few things. Here are my suggestions:
Fun Snowshoes and Snow Boots
The first time that my Stepfather suggested that we go snowshoeing, I thought I was going to have to strap one of those giant, wooden tennis racquets onto my foot. Boy was I wrong. Snowshoes today are made of carbon so they’re super light weight with a simple release. Just click in your snow boot and you’re ready to roll. Check out this snazzy pair by Tubbs Wilderness here.
But you don’t really need to buy your own. You can borrow snowshoes from a friend or rent them from a resort. The only piece of equipment that you really need to own in order to snowshoe is a pair of snow boots. Growing up as kid outside Chicago, my only options for snow boots were functional, yes, but hardly great looking. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Snow shoe stalwarts like Sorel and Sperry are now designing great looking, functional boots. Here are a few of my favorites:
Moving left to right: Sorel Tivoli in black, Sperry for J. Crew in flannel, Sorel Tivoli for J. Crew in Buffalo Check and Sorel Cozy Cate lace ups.
Keeping Your Hands & Feet Warm Is a Must
One of the hardest things for me about outdoor winter sports is that my feet get miserably cold. I blame it on all those hours ice skating in sub zero temperatures at the Winter Club as a kid. It may have been good for my figure, but the frost bite wreaked havoc on my toes. Which is why I am obsessed with my Patagonia Midweight Snow Socks. I bought exactly this pair over Christmas and was toasty warm despite the single digit temperatures.
However, if I’d known about these heated insoles from ThermaCell , I might have asked Santa for a pair. Not only can you adjust the temperature from your smart phone, but one charge gives you 6 1/2 hours of heated action. Talk about a merry Christmas.
My hands can get almost as cold as my feet which makes warm mittens a must. I’ve had my pair by Burton for over 15 years. Not only do they keep my fingers nice and cozy, but they’ve definitely paid for themselves. Mine, however, are boring black, not this fabulously chic silver. Just looking at them makes me smile.
Don’t Forget to Protect Your Skin
Eir NYC’s line of face and body products was specifically designed for active women. The Sport Balm, chock full of coconut oil and shea butter, helps prevent chafing brought on by, say, long underwear while the Snow Patrol will protect any exposed skin from sunburn as well as windburn, and the arnica-infused Post Sessions Salts are a great way to pamper your muscles after a kick ass workout. Check out the whole line here.
So, come on. What are you waiting for? Get outside and snowshoe. Your body will thank you.