Winter Tips for Training in Cold Weather

Winter is coming…and with it, dry skin, tight muscles, and sometimes even weaker grip.

It can feel hard to get out of the house and show up for practice in the darker, colder months, but we want to make sure training is your happy place! 

So to help combat the winter blues, here are a few tips and tricks to get through winter without sacrificing the quality of your practice. 

❌ Do NOT Skip Warm Up! 

This is important any time of the year, but ESPECIALLY in cold weather. Frigid temps contract muscles and cool us down faster, so a quality warm up is essential to preventing injury and loosening up your muscles for proper engagement. 

🧣 Warm Up In Layers

Like we mentioned above, cold weather has a tendency to cool us down quicker during training sessions. Warm up while bundled for as long as possible to keep the heat and speed up the process. And once you’re moving, try not to stop! 

🧴 Try To Lotion The Night Before

Applying lotion the day of practice may leave your skin too slick to properly grip to your apparatus. Try applying moisturizer the day before if possible. However, dry skin happens—and it can also impede your ability to grip properly! If your skin needs extra moisture for class, try Corn Huskers lotion for a helpful stick without the slippery-ness of regular lotions. 

👊 Focus On Your Grip

In the colder months, our grip can feel weaker than usual. On and off your apparatus, be sure to work on your grip strength in and out of the studio! We recommend squeezing a ball to strengthen your grip, or getting a hand strengthener to keep your muscles moving through the winter! 

🤝 Don’t Forget Your Grip Aids

When all else fails, a good aid (spray, chalk, etc.) can help improve your grip, help you stick to your apparatus, and provide a small safety net during the winter. Safety is your #1 priority, so if you’re feeling a little dry, don’t be shy. 

💪 Keep Up With Your Flexibility Training (But Don’t Push It!)

Cold muscles are more prone to injury, so gently keeping up on your flexibility, especially during warm ups, will help keep you feeling loose. If you go without training your flexibility for a period of time, be sure not to push yourself too hard—simple consistent practice is all it takes to help build muscle memory and prevent issues later down the line. And forcing something that’s not there yet is a one way ticket to PT. 

Need a fun and energizing movement practice to carry you through the winter? Join us for aerial arts and pole dancing in Frederick, MD!