This article gives you 14 tips to keep you safe and comfortable while exercising outdoors in winter.

And some more tips – these help you remain focused on your fitness and weight loss goals, even if getting to the gym to workout is a problem. In fact, these tips would be helpful in any season!

Want some different ideas for winter workouts – both inside and out? See which of these sound like they would work for you.

Stay safe during outdoor winter workouts with these suggestions.

What should you eat and drink to fuel your winter workouts? Read this article for suggestions.

Any suggestions to add to these? How do you adapt you workouts to the winter weather?

A recent study shows that aerobic exercise like walking is better than strength training for getting rid of the fat that lies deep within the body. Both types of exercise were effective at losing fat from just beneath the skin. But aerobic exercise, alone or combined with strength training, helped people shed deep fat from around their organs and waists, as well as beneath the skin. Plus, the aerobic exercisers were less insulin resistant.

In another study, older adults on 4 different walking protocols were studied. It was found that those who walked at least 9 miles a week had increased gray-matter volume in their brains. This increased gray-matter was associated with a two-fold risk reduction for cognitive impairment.

And a third study looked at aerobic exercise only, strength training only, or a combination of both, in relation to heart health. The aerobic only group lost 3 pounds, a half inch from their waist, and improved their diastolic blood pressure. The strength only group gained 1.5 pounds and got stronger. The combination group did best, losing 4 pounds, 1 inch and improving their diastolic blood pressure.

In the fitness world, we hear a lot about functional training, plyometrics, short burst intense cardio, etc., but these studies show that good old walking is still a great thing to do.

We like to bring you links to articles we find interesting. This time we are doing something a little different – giving you links to things to do outside in Memphis this weekend. The weather looks to be wonderful again, so get outside and enjoy it while you can.

Want to walk, run or bike? Try the paved trails of the Shelby Farms Greenline and the Wolf River Greenway.

Healthy eating! Get some late season fruit and vegetables while they are still available at the Memphis Farmers Market and the Agricenter Farmers Market.  Want some fish? Try catching your own at Catch ‘em Lake.

Want to get on the water? The Wolf River Conservancy has a float trip on the Wolf River Saturday (call soon – deadline is today or until trip fills). Stay within Memphis and rent paddleboats, canoes or kayaks at Patriot Lake.

Walk around the Corn Maze and don’t even realize the calories you are burning. And of course, there’s always golf. Here’s a list of courses in the Memphis area. Fore!

What are you planning to do outside this weekend?

So is barefoot training beneficial, or just another fad?

The way we walk and run is different when we wear shoes. The natural motion is to land on the ball of the foot with the impact absorbed by the arch and the lower leg. When we wear running shoes, the padding in the shoes cause us to land on our heels, sending the impact up the heel to the knees and hips. This can put a strain on these joints. The muscles of the foot can also be weakened when wearing poorly fitted shoes. This can lead to weak arches, and eventually may lead to flat feet. Going barefoot can strengthen these muscles and help avoid these problems.

Barefoot can be beneficial. So we should all throw away our shoes, right?

Not necessarily. Most of us have worn shoes our entire lives, and our feet have not developed the musculature needed to do all our activities without shoes.

There are also risks to working out barefooted. At the gym, shoes can protect you from fungal infections, while also providing stability and traction for certain activities. Any kind of outdoor workout, where surfaces may be sharp, uneven, or littered with trash and debris, can lead to cuts and injuries.

If you want to give it a try, check with your doctor, especially if you have any foot or ankle problems. Begin by going barefoot around the house, doing exercises to strengthen the feet, and running or working out a little on smooth surfaces to build the foot muscles. Running on smooth sandy beaches, or soft grass can be a next step up.

Barefoot shoes may seem to be a compromise between the two. There is less padding than traditional running or training shoes, giving you a feel closer to bare feet while also providing some protection from outside elements. However, if you are used to well-padded shoes, allow yourself some time to transition over to them. As for me, I may give them a try one day, but only for wearing around – my running days are over.

One thing to remember is that we don’t have enough years of study to show what the long-term effects of barefoot running are. Only time will show if we can take the impact of running on the ball of the foot, or if it will be as hard on our bodies as heel strikes.

If anyone has tried barefoot training or running, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Did you like it? What problems did you encounter? And are you still leaving your shoes behind for your workout?