I hate being cold. It’s one of the reasons we moved to South Carolina. But, it’s still cold here. It may not be as cold as where you are, but I routinely encounter wind chills below freezing. That, plus, I’m not far removed from the cold Maryland weather that was even more challenging.

Here are three things I’ve done over the years to keep me walking outside in the winter.

INVEST IN WARM CLOTHING

This might seem like a no brainer, but there was a time when apparently I had no brain. My cold weather clothing consisted of a heavy coat, hat, and gloves. Then my daughter and I went to a Ravens game and it all changed.

She bought me tickets to a game in early December during the Ravens magical 2019 season. We were going together and I was really excited…until the forecast showed it was going to be a brutal experience. The weather was shaping up to be very cold, very wet, and very windy. And, we would be outside for about six hours.

I determined the weather was NOT going to ruin the day so I went out a couple days before the game and bought long underwear, insulated socks, insulated boots, extra warm gloves, and a poncho. The forecast was accurate and we spent six hours outside which included walking to and from our car that was parked more than a mile away.

My daughter and I stayed warm and dry (mostly) and had a great experience. It also showed me if I’m willing to invest in the right clothing I can keep walking outside when the weather is my least favorite!

ENJOY THE BEAUTY

I love summer, but I think winter is more beautiful. It’s hard to beat a landscape of freshly fallen snow…especially when it’s still clinging to the trees. Throw in a red cardinal sitting on one of those branches and summer can’t compete. 

Winter sunsets are extraordinary. Last night Ava and I were walking through our neighborhood as the sun was setting beyond the horizon. The trees, with their bare branches, were silhouetted against the fading daylight. It was so stunning I had to stop walking just to take it in. Thankfully, this was not a rare exception. 

I may not enjoy the winter weather, but I love the winter beauty as I walk.

EMBRACE THE HARD

Even with the right clothing and a landscape of beauty, winter weather often pushes me beyond my comfort limits. Again, it’s one of the reasons Ava and I moved both 500 miles.

Walking outside in the winter is hard. And, some days are really hard! I’m learning this ain’t so bad, though. It’s good to challenge my “Doing Hard Things” muscles. I don’t want to be the person who always pushes the Easy Button…or worse…just gives up.

I know there are very likely days in my future when the hard thing can’t be escaped…and I won’t have a choice. It’s good to know, that when I do have a choice, I’m willing to embrace the hard…like keeping my commitment to fitness when the weather isn’t fun.

How about you? 

If you need added motivation, check out my new daily podcast Walking Is Fitness. Every day we are walking together for ten-minutes….even when the weather is uncomfortably wintry. You can check out today’s episode HERE.

If you FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE where you get your favorite podcasts you’ll have that day’s ten-minute walk waiting for each morning when you wake up.