Seasonal Challenge—Staying Fit
Photo: David Winter
Photo: Philip Murphy
The Record asked readers how they were moving toward their fitness goals as weather challenges emerge. Here are a couple responses. Got a suggestion? Send it with a photo to nihrecord@nih.gov.
"My wife and I are competitive paddlers all summer, and put in over 500 miles this summer in our marathon canoe. But we break from our routine in the winter with other training. We focus on core and strength building, spending an average of 90 minutes per day exercising. I am also continuing into my 41st year of practicing Tae Kwon Do."—Dr. David B. Winter, a former scientific review officer at the Center for Scientific Review who recently left for BARDA
"My 20-mile round-trip bicycle commute to NIH is the bulk of my daily exercise. There is great cycling gear available to stay warm in winter, including balaklavas, neck gaiters, ski masks, bib tights, rubber shoes and windproof jackets. In the extreme cold, T=20s-30s, I just double up on the head, body, legs and gloves. Below 20, I need a layer over the shoes. But basically, it’s the same challenges as for skiing and the same basic solution: layers. I hate the cold, and am the last person to ride in winter if layers didn’t work. They do!"—Dr. Philip M. Murphy, chief, molecular signaling section, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and chief, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, NIAID