I am writing this entry on a morning when the temperature has finally hit sub-freezing. We had some amazingly warm and beautiful days in the fall and as recently as two days ago the temperatures hit the 70’s. Nataliya and I were taking our walks around Burke Lake Park wearing shorts and tee shirts. I believe we will not be able to do this again until the spring.
When I query people about what type/how much exercise they are doing I will often get responses that include multiple outdoor activities such as walking, jogging and biking. There is nothing more enjoyable (from an exercise perspective) than to be able to be outside on a beautiful day burning off those calories. Being outside is so much less boring than pounding repetitively on an indoor, stationary bike or treadmill or elliptical.
However, as the weather gets colder and the daily sunlight time diminishes, there are many people that see their exercise time diminish as well. How much fun is it to go out on a dark and very cold morning to take a jog or bike ride? “Walking in the rain” sounds and looks romantic in songs and movies, however, in reality, who likes walking/running/biking in the rain (or snow)?
The point: Weight control is best achieved by incorporating an exercise component to the dietary approach. If that exercise component is diminished, this places more “pressure” on the dietary end of the equation. The good news: Although we always hear that weight control is about “diet and exercise” the dietary part is much more important and weight control may be achieved even without significant exercise.
So, for those out there that are “all weather/all season”, and like “walking in the rain” exercisers out there, stay the course. However, for the those people (like me) that despise the cold and do NOT like “walking in the rain” please try to ensure you have a “Plan B” such as home equipment and/or gym membership to keep those calories being burned off.
The title of this entry was inspired by a documentary I am watching on Showtime called “Spector”. Phil Spector was a very famous music producer that was eccentric to the point of insanity and he was incarcerated for murder before dying from Covid complications in January, 2021.
One of the groups he produced was the Ronettes and one of their major hits? “Walking In The Rain”….Let’s go back to the 60s.
