ROB MURRAY: I’m speaking with Kiley Torti from the Bow Valley Primary Care Network. You’ve recently written an article on the Bow Valley PCN website about Top 10 Tips for Staying Active this Winter – a time when people feel a little inclined to hibernate a bit. It’s cold and it’s tough to get motivated to be active.

KILEY TORTI: Definitely. We tend to fall into more Netflix watching and indoor activities and maybe some more calorie dense food. It’s a good reminder, especially during this time of year as we’re moving into our holidays, to get out and embrace winter, because we’re Canadian and we live in an area of Canada where winter lasts for many, many months.

RM: It sure does! Let’s talk about outdoor recreation. What are some tips for people who are planning on exercising outdoors?

KT: People don’t plan to fail, but if you fail to plan it’s going to make it a little more difficult. A lot of us are maybe still working from home or have limited social contact, so planning outdoor activities is a great way to still keep those social connections going through the winter months and during the pandemic. Have a date maybe once a week with a friend to go for a walk, or for a hike, or a cross-country ski, making sure you’re well-prepared. Know what the temperatures are going to be that day and dress accordingly. Try to plan to get out during daylight hours. Daylight hours are limited right now, and for a lot of people in a 9 to 5 work day, if you don’t get out over your lunch break, by the time the end of your work day comes around you’re probably going to be back into darkness. Trying to get outside during the middle of your day for a little bit of a reset is a great way to help with creativity, with attention span at work, and it’s also a great mood booster which we need in these darker, colder winter months.

RM: The wind can be a major factor on a cold day, both from a skin protection perspective, but also an opportunity to sort of embrace the wind. Can you talk a little bit about that?

KT: Skin protection – that’s a good point. Having a little bit of a buff or a neck warmer that you can pull up, putting a little bit of sunscreen or a little bit of extra moisturizer on those key parts – the tips of your ears, your nose, your cheeks as well. When you’re planning your route, be aware of the wind direction – if you can start your activity going into the wind while you’re warming up, mentally, that’s a harder thing to do, but if you can have the wind at your back on your return home when you may already have worked up a bit of a sweat, it helps to prevent a chill. If it’s a little bit of a wind, it might help the push to get home and complete the second half of your activity.

RM: It has been really icy at times so far this winter. What do you suggest for traction?

KT: There are a lot of different traction devices out there. A little plug for the Town of Banff – they do have a great ice cleat rebate program. I always caution people that they do work best on snow and ice, so if you’re transitioning from a snowy, icy surface to bare pavement, exercise a little bit of caution, or if you’re walking indoors they can be quite slippery on tile. There are a number of different devices out there depending on your needs. There are some more aggressive treads if you’re actually going to be going winter hiking and spending more time on snowy or icy trails, versus something that might be more of a transition piece for just walking on sidewalks during the winter.

RM: I like to exercise indoors at the gym. Throughout the last summer and this winter I’ve looked back and said, you know, I did go to the gym, but I did not hit my goals of the amount of exercise and the amount of activity that I wanted to do this week. I find it really hard just to get motivated, to go out and do it, even though I do feel better at the end. Do you have any tips for motivation?

KT: I hear you. This is a common challenge for a lot of people – digging deep and finding that motivation. I find, for those people that are comfortable going back into a gym, having a class and having a commitment, or also having a commitment to an exercise buddy, somebody to do something with if possible. Tou may want to implement some sort of a reward system. This can be old-school like putting little stars on the calendar, or tracking your workouts. Typically, when I’m looking at a reward, I’m generally like to suggest something that’s going to reinforce those positive health habits versus something that might be more of a food reward. Maybe it’s a massage, a new pair of shoes, new workout gear, something that’s going to lead you down that road of more success and reinforcing the positive, healthy habits.

Filed under: Banff, Bow Valley PCN, Canmore