Guest Blog Post: There’s No Bad Weather, Only Bad Gear.

Guest Blogger, Emily Mathews, writes a little about what it means to work out during winters in New England - something The Workout Club is quite familiar with managing these days. Read on for tips she shares on how to most successfully weather the N.E.W., as well as some favorite product recommendations.

Which weather brings out your inner badass? Photo by Halfpoint/iStock / Getty Images

While on a run last winter, the lyrics to The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” took on what I can only assume, is a different message than he intended: “I can’t feel my face when I’m with youuuu, and I love it. Yes, I love it.” Despite a mild winter, that day was really cold, and I couldn’t feel my face on that morning run. But I loved it anyway.

Some people are surprised when I say inclement weather is my favorite workout weather. On certain days it’s my favorite because I have to make changes to my routine and I appreciate the variety. On other days it’s my favorite because I feel like a badass when I’m doing burpees in sideways falling snow. (I mean, if you aren’t going to feel like a badass doing burpees with snow lashing you in the face, when are you going to feel like a badass?!) Most often though, I enjoy working out on rainy days, cold days, windy days, sideways-snow days, because it forces me to be present with myself. How am I feeling? How’s my form? What’s on my mind? Like many of us, I am focused on PRs and goals. Because of the weather, outdoor exercising in the winter complicates goal attainment, and I find myself lingering more on how I’m feeling and less about hitting a goal. While goals are still there for me, they get a little grace in the winter, and year after year, I am still able to meet those goals. This makes me wonder if letting go (a little bit) isn’t precisely what is making me stronger and more resilient...but that’s a different post. For now, let’s stick to not feeling our faces, and what we can do about it.

For the rest of this post, I’m not going to specify the types of weather I work out in. Instead, just imagine what I mean when I say, “New England Winter” (also known as N.E.W, which I just totally made up but acronyms always make things official). It’s not always dramatic, it’s not always “that cold” but it does present its own set of challenges, and that’s what I want to address. In order to embrace working out on a N.E.W. day you need two things: appropriate gear and a mindset shift.

On the topic of gear, I’m a firm believer in the adage, “There’s no bad weather, only bad gear.” In order to work out on a N.E.W. day you have to be dressed for it. It doesn’t require spending a lot of money on workout clothes, but it does mean being intentional. Choose gloves, hats, and socks that can take a beating with regular washings. Grab a pair of fleece-lined leggings. Embrace layering on your torso! Most importantly, don’t be afraid to try out a few different things to figure out what works for you. A lot of my friends have “cold spots”: places that no matter what they do, run colder than anywhere else on their body. Figure out your cold spot and show it some love with an extra layer or better quality cold weather materials.

You can have all the cold weather gear you want from all the top brands, but if you don’t change your mind about N.E.W. exercising you’ll never learn to lovvvvvve it the way The Weeknd thinks we can (ok, I think we can all agree he’s not talking about an outdoor Zumba class at The Workout Club, but I’m still feeling inspired by his enthusiasm regardless of a complete lack of sensation to a rather important body part). The truth is, working out when it’s cold is simply different. If you’re on a spin bike, maybe you need to arrive a little earlier to warm up longer, to just get the legs turning over before pushing up that first big hill. If you’re taking a boot camp class, maybe it’s less about speed and more about form as you work at each station. And if you’re out on a run, perhaps you change your cadence to take smaller shuffle-steps so you are prepared for rogue patches of ice. Whatever mindset shift you need to get you there, give it a try. You may surprise yourself and discover that it wasn’t so bad afterall, and that goal you set? You just hit it.

How will you crush it in N.E.W. this week? Photo by dusanpetkovic/iStock / Getty Images

If you’ve resisted outdoor N.E.W. exercise until 2020, I urge you to give it a try. Partially (due to the pandemic) because we have to, but also because stretching ourselves to try new things helps us build strength and resiliency. N.E.W. outdoor workouts don’t have to be about PRs or goals. What they are about is shaking off the idea that mental badassery is only accomplished inside. Strength and resiliency are more than just a number on a weight or pace on a treadmill. They are about being present with yourself at a time when, quite frankly, you may not lovvvvve it all that much, but after every damn outdoor workout on a N.E.W. day you can look at yourself, bundled up like Randy from A Christmas Story, and say, “Today, I crushed it.”

Bragging about our Blogger…
Emily’s adoring friend would like to mention that Emily is also a founder of the Facebook phenomenon, South Shore Running Moms, which has taken badass mama running & fitness to new levels across the South Shore. Emily has personally completed tens of thousands of miles (both recreationally and during races of various distances from 5k to 26.2 miles to overnight Ragnar runs) in all weather including but not limited to: heat, rain, humidity, hurricanes, snow, hail, freezing temperatures, and a global pandemic. She was also a longtime participant of the Scituate Recreation 6am outdoor Boot Camp where they met in all conditions… sometimes even completing winter workouts before dawn! As a Workout Club Member as well, Emily can often be found catching a Spin Class or a Pound class when she isn’t running in hurricanes with Colleen.

Emily’s Favorites

for N.E.W.:

Click the links below for information on the products and get directed to local businesses that carry them!

Reflective and warm: key in the winter!

Can you tell I’m a big fan of bright, easy to see fabrics?

Fleece leggings: a must for keeping those legs warm.

A running vest helps me regulate my temperature more easily.

Photo credit: Kjeld Mahoney Photography