I'm looking at the window right now and it's not just pouring down; there's a man out there getting violently assaulted with apocalyptic water bullets. And, in 30 minutes, me and my trooper of a client will be joining him. Great.
Without doubt, stinking weather is one of the most annoying occupational hazards a mobile personal trainer has to navigate. It's muddy, it's messy and, as they embark upon their fifth 'walk out' of the session, your client is incredulously saying to themselves 'and I am PAYING for this?!'
So let's just grasp the nettle and talk about it: outdoor training in the rain, on a field (aka a water-logged bog) is hardly going to be the item on today's 'To do' list that you're really looking forward to. But I am here to tell you that you should embrace the slop, get down and dirty, and enjoy it!
Because you won't be alone if you do, the fitness mud-fest is positively en vogue. It appears that every week friends are teaming up for a good cause and trekking out to some field in Sussex, where they can roll around in filth on a crazy assault course. And why not? I am all for taking the opportunity to indulge that childlike urge to get grubby, and if you can get fit in the process - win:win! So there it is - training in the rain is refreshing, cathartic, and what's more, it's darn good for you - you will increase your rate of energy consumption and burn more fat compared to exercising in dry conditions.*
But hold fire. I appreciate that after such a compelling argument you are now poised to dive out of the window and break into some squelchy squats but - a word of caution: you probably do want to think through your 'train-in-the-rain' gear to avoid blithely HIITing your way to pneumonia.
Top tips for training in the rain:
Perhaps give cotton a wide berth: Unless you want to be a human mud sponge, probably best to go with breathable synthetic fibres.
Layer up: it might be warm rain like today, but you can then peel off your outer (preferably waterproof) layer when you're done and avoid frightening oncoming pedestrians on the way home.
Wear gloves: even if it's not cold, popping on some gloves whilst you train might be the thing that allows you to pick up your supper without the supermarket security guard frog-marching you out of the store before your filthy mitts ruin the produce.
Get some lambs wool socks to keep your feet warm and possibly invest in some liner socks to help keep the squelching at bay.
Bring out the baby oil: whilst you may feel slightly perturbed (or perhaps not!) at the prospect of slathering yourself in baby oil, it will help to ensure that the rain rolls off those areas that are exposed.
So that's it! What more do you need?! Rub on that baby oil with wanton abandon and get your backside out there...
... Or, if you're still horrified at the prospect of planking in a down pour, get your trainer to come to your living room!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23371827
