09 Feb Best Friend Handbook: Snowshoe To A Stronger You
My friend Katherine Stuart writes a wonderful blog,”Best Friend Handbook,” everything from fashion and beauty tips to nutrition and recipes – including recipes for success. Her latest blog is all abut how working out in the cold for just 15 minutes, feet strapped to a pair of snowshoes (which are admittedly not Jimmy Choos), may have the same positive effect on your body as an hour of exercise in warm room. Also a few suggestions about what to wear to stay toasty when exercising outdoors.
Katherine Stuart
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…
More about Katherine Stuart:
Katherine is a former movie executive and screenwriter who now runs her own content company, Content by Katherine. Her blog, the Best Friend Handbook, was born out of a desire to help other women feel better about themselves. As a lifelong best friend, fashion aficionado, former Pilates instructor, and amateur cook as well as the person that everyone comes to for advice, Katherine decided to take her opinions global, and create a virtual best friend. You know, someone who loves you no matter what. Who never judges you for eating, say, a quart of ice cream, always knows the best recipe for an impromptu dinner party and who can tell you exactly which eye cream will make you look like less of a hag the morning after one glass too many.
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