It’s not just the cold: star trainer names 4 reasons to move from the outdoors to the gym in the fall

Not just the cold: star coach named 4 reasons to move from the street to the gym in the fall

Katya Khomenko tells us what a change of venue will affect and who will benefit from it.

Many people are already in fall mode, but some are still resisting and don’t want to let go of summer. During the warm season, athletes certainly prioritize outdoor activities, ignoring or minimizing workouts in the gym. When it gets colder outside and you want to spend more and more time indoors, you should reconsider your training plan and move your training to a sports club. It’s not just the changeable weather. A change of venue can do an athlete a lot of good. The star coach Katya Khomenko told us how the nature of training will change and what performance will be affected.

star coach, one of the top 10 coaches in Moscow

“As a rule, training depends on weather conditions. Summer is the time for outdoor physical activity: volleyball, badminton, tennis, sapsurfing, surfing, hiking, running, swimming, rowing and cycling. In the fall, classes naturally move to the gym and the nature of the workout changes. A lot of people don’t like that. I love the outdoors myself, but I recommend taking a closer look at working out in the gym.”

Reason 1. From an efficiency standpoint, a sudden change in routine is a good thing: it increases absolute power (in other words, it allows your muscles to withstand more stress).

Reason 2. If you’re involved in cyclical sports – like cycling – exercising with heavy weights in the gym will develop strength. In cycling, it’s important to push down on the pedal and additionally pull the handlebars down and back. Power in the fall period will help to keep in tone quadriceps, the back of the thigh and lower leg – those muscles that are involved in pedaling. Similarly with running, swimming and rowing.

Reason 3. Having more equipment and machines in the gym allows you to diversify your program. You can alternate muscle groups, intensity and character of training, schedule periods of increased load or recovery.

Reason 4. If you are preparing for winter sports – for example, skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, jogging in winter – training in the gym will strengthen stabilizer muscles, improve coordination and balance.

At the same time, you don’t need to completely change your routine and give up training outdoors if you feel comfortable. Training in the cold hardens well, but it is important to choose the equipment.

Among the basic rules:

• choose synthetic sportswear: it does not absorb moisture and retains heat;
• be sure to wear gloves and headgear, and a balaclava if the temperature is very low.