WINTER WALKING TIPS

 Everyone who knows me well, knows I've been a hiker and a fitness walker most of my life.  Hiking began for me as a young child when my family had a camp in the southern Adirondacks. Dad made trails on our property and taught us many things about lean-tos, trail blazes, wildlife, etc.  He even made me and my sisters a little lean-to where we used to play with our dolls.

Fast forward to life in the suburbs, a husband, 2 daughters, a pop-up camper, bikes,  kayaks, and tons of hiking gear/'camping gear and that's basically all we did from 1990-2008.  Every other weekend, some summers, found us camping and hiking up some mountain or to some deep woods remote pond. We've camped in the Adirondacks, the Berkshires, Cape Cod, Vermont, Maine, and NH.  My girls didn't go to Disney World...nope...we're actually kind of proud of that...instead they learned how to navigate an Adirondack trail, they learned some Shaker history from hiking in the Berkshires, and they learned how to read blazes and wildlife scat. They learned to kayak and swim well both in mountain lakes and in the Atlantic Ocean.  They've hiked all through 3 major National Parks and many historical sites. 

Now that I'm practically an empty nester with a husband who no longer wants to hike all that much except when we're on vacation at the cottage in Long Lake, I fitness walk local nature preserves (or my neighborhood if time doesn't allow for driving) and I hike in the mountains with other hiker friends or other women who want to walk for fitness.  Recently someone asked me what's the difference between fitness walking and hiking.  Well, there's quite a bit of difference!  I don't tend to hike much in the winter months...it requires special clothing, special backpacks, extra supplies (which my back just cannot handle due to the weight of the pack and my degenerative disc disease) and a willingness to travel on snow covered roads that my little Honda just cannot handle.  So I tend to fitness walk some local flat trails.  I've hiked a couple of times in the winter/very early spring up mountains and I'm not a fan......I just cannot stand all the layers I need, all the bulk, all the extra food, etc. 

So today, I am going to define "fitness walking" vs "hiking". 

Fitness walking is also known as "Power Walking".  It is where you walk faster than you normally would. Breathing, muscles and endurance all come into play when you power walk. Usually it is for a short distance (less than 3 miles typically) "Fitness walking requires conscience action at a fast pace". This improves your cardiovascular system, strengthens your heart, controls weight,  and reduces stress.  All of these are well known factors when it comes to power walking.

Hiking = long distance walking, usually for pleasure, in the woods or up a mountain in rural and wilderness areas.  Typically this is for more than 3 miles. Hiking for several days in one trip is known as backpacking. Hiking in the mountains may also involve climbing up and over rocks, (this is known as scrambles), fording rivers and streams, sudden changes in weather patterns, and always involves special gear and clothing.

 Some people like to fitness walk not on paved paths, but on wooded or wetland trails (like in nature preserves).  I am one of those people.  I have recently formed a group of friends who are interested in fitness walking. If they walk with me, they most likely will be on a wooded path.

For that, you do need some special gear.   For regular power walking, you only need a good pair of sneakers (made for walking), some wick away socks, a wick away tee shirt or long-sleeved tee depending on the season, a light jacket, and some capri yoga pants/yoga shorts, or regular length yoga pants.  Walking in denim isn't recommended as when you sweat, you will be uncomfortable. Save your denim jeans for when you are just taking a stroll or out and about running errands. 

For WINTER walking I recommend the following:

• A good pair of waterproof hiker shoes or waterproof sneakers.  I wear both from about November through early May. I tend to wear the hiker boots that go up around my ankle for walking on snow-covered paths. I wear the sneakers on paths like local bike trails which I know will be plowed.   I also put on Microspikes or Stabilicers for those trails that do have snow that might be crusty with ice. In this area, (the capital region of NYS) that's anywhere from mid-November through to mid-April depending on where you are. Here are examples of what I use:

"Work style boots"
Purchased through BassPro Company
I wear these to work with skinny jeans and thick socks
and I wear them with hiking socks to fitness walk on local nature trails
they are waterproof and have a flap that go up or buttoned down.

my walking sneakers bought via LLBean
waterproof and made for trail running or power walking
I typically wear these all year round on bare, paved trails like at Crossings Park
or in the woods on flat terrain when I'm walking/hiking less than 3 miles

• Waterproof rubber boots:  these are vital for walking in early spring in the Northeast.  You can purchase fleece liners for if it's a cold spring day or if you think it might begin to rain while you're out.  Or you can just wear them with socks.  I wear these when I know the trail is going to be muddy (Mud Season in the ADKS is from Mid-March to May). These are not super comfy for long walks nor for power walks. I save these for when I'm on a wooded trail that's less than 3 miles and for just leisurely walks. 

classic rubber boots aka "waders"
purchased from LLBean

• Fleece Leggings or hiking pants:  I highly recommend a good pair of fleece leggings for power walking. I won't go into what you should wear for winter hikes.  But both activities start with fleece leggings.  They're warm, can be washed and hung to drip dry, and are cute for running errands afterwards.....just pair with a tall pair of riding boots you keep in the car! I also recommend a good pair of hiking socks (wool or fleece).  The pair I'm showing you today on my feet are my LLBean Fleece socks.  They go great with the short boots and keep my toes warm which is vital for winter walks. Wool works great too and is actually preferable for hiking year round. Some fitness walkers prefer yoga pants or wick away hiking pants.  Wear what you're comfy with, but again NO DENIM.  If it gets wet.....ICK!  You will be super cold and so uncomfortable. believe me, I'v made that mistake when younger. If you choose yoga pants, choose the straight legged kind and add a pair of leg warmers (found at any Dance store that sells ballet gear...i have two pair that I like to pair with hiking leggings in the late autumn and yes i power walk with them on cold autumn days).

fleece hiking socks worn over fleece leggings

• A wool, knit, or fleece headband or hat.  Need I say more??! (please forgive the side view pic...cannot understand why it did this!)

my hiking pole and a fleece headband
(I own several headbands and two good hats)

• Hiking poles.  Now, this isn't vital for most power walking but they're very helpful if you have knee issues like I do (or lower back issues) and for stabilizing yourself on uneven terrain.  I highly recommend you have a pair and of course they're perfect for real hikes in the mountains. But for most fitness walks, you will not need them.   For me, they're just handy to have in the car "just in case". 

• A silk or wick away tee shirt (long sleeved for winter months) or turtleneck.  I'm currently into my LLBean Silk hiking turtleneck.  I layer it with a fleece top or wool sweater.  perfect for cold weather walks. AVOID COTTON SHIRTS.  If you sweat, cotton will make you so uncomfortable and you will feel cold. 

• Wool sweater or fleece pullover.This is a good piece for those days that are under 40 degrees F.

• Outer jacket made for winter. VITAL.  These can be found in any major store or sports store. Look for one with a hood and pockets! 

• Hiking gloves or mittens.  I prefer fingerless mittens in late autumn, early winter or for temps above 35 degrees.  For colder temps (I don't do fitness walking when it's below 20) I use fleece gloves or knit gloves. And if you're hands get warm, just put them in your jacket pockets!

• Stablicers or microspikes:  these are things you add to the bottom of your footwear.  I highly recommend you get them from a reputable sporting goods store.  Dave bought mine from Dicks' Sporting Goods.  You can see them in the pic below.  I'm wearing them on local nature trails as our area as some snow-pack with areas of ice. I don't need them on bike paths as the ones around here are usually bare (although some are not) and I definitely use them in November/December-April for hiking in the mountains.

Easy to put on and off....they stretch.
 Mine are in size small for my size 7 boot

• A lanyard!  I like to put my car key on one of my Vera Bradley or college lanyards.  This then goes around your neck, tuck it into your coat and you don't have to carry a backpack on a fitness hike (unless you're on a trail in the deep woods and then I recommend you carry water along with other supplies for winter hiking/winter woods walking). 

• Cell phone:  I keep mine in a jacket pocket for "just in case" or take nature photos along the path.  Keep in mind that cold weather depletes the battery quickly  especially if you're also using a wakling app like Map my Walk. I do have a pair of hiking leggings that has a cell phone pocket (what a great find!) that I wear on days when the temps are above 40 degrees. 

• Water:  you should always carry a water bottle on walks that are power walks.  It's vital to stay hydrated, even in winter. This time of year, I tend to not walk more than 2 miles so I keep the bottle in the car and gulp it down after the workout. Do what's comfortable for you. But I HIGHLY recommend you have at least one camelbak or nalprene in your car for afterwards.  

I hope this helps you prepare for cold weather fitness walking!

I will be posting something similar for Spring/Summer hikes in about a month.  The list is similar with some added items.

Hope to see you on a walking trail, soon!