Staying Fit
Mah-jongg Zoom sessions, online meditation led by her rabbi, and socially distanced weekday walks with friends from the neighborhood are among the many ways Rebecca Smigel, a retiree in Montgomery County, Maryland, has stayed “stimulated and moving” during the long months of the ongoing pandemic.
And, says Smigel, this winter has seen her socializing outdoors more than ever before.
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"Nobody is coming into my house, and I'm not going into theirs,” she says. “But I'm making more effort to connect with people and to be outside this year.”
Key to enjoying those moments, she says, is keeping warm.
With the holidays behind us but several chilly months still ahead, here are a few tips for staying as comfortable as possible while having outside — and distanced — gatherings with family and friends.
Layer for the occasion
Dressing warmly for being active in the great outdoors during winter is a slightly different animal than dressing for outdoor socializing (where you won't have the exercise to warm you up), but you can expect to deploy many of the same principles, including layering properly for the occasion.
The first thing you'll want to put next to your skin before heading out into the elements is a good base layer, says Palmer West, cofounder of Aether, a maker of technical outerwear. And synthetic materials and merino wool blends are both good options.
"The correct way to wear base layers is directly against your skin,” he says. “A lot of people make the mistake of wearing a tee shirt under a base layer because they worry about scratchiness. But you have to wear it against your skin so it interacts with your body heat and keeps you warm."
West says natural fibers like wool are considered the superior base layer, since they're antimicrobial and don't retain odors. But they “only reach a certain temperature before they start to breathe.” So people who are especially sensitive to sitting outside in the cold might consider opting for a base layer made from synthetic polyester instead.
After your base layer comes an insulation layer, says Jen Karr-Lee, who manages outdoor retailer REI's digital community. “This can be synthetic or down, and helps add heat when you're not moving,” she says.
Finally, on top of the insulation layer goes an outer layer, which Karr-Lee says is “typically a waterproof, breathable shell that can keep wind and weather out. If you're sitting around in the cold, the system helps your body stay warm."
