Seasonal Challenge—Staying Fit

David Winter in a series of three martial arts photos showing him jumping high into the air and kicking.

CSR's Dr. David Winter is in his 41st year practicing Tae Kwon Do.

Photo: David Winter

Murphy, dressed in warm clothes and a balaklava, sits on his bicycle outside his home.

Layering is key to cycling in the cold, says NIAID's Dr. Philip M. Murphy.

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