What do you mean you practice outdoors in the winter? Are you insane?
Maybe. But thats besides the point.
Winter is actually one of the most important times of year for training.
Why?
Cause, most of us get lazy and like to hibernate. This promotes unhealthy habits. Winter training is essential for keeping the body strong and adaptable to the seasons.
Winter is the season of Yin. Its colder, darker and more miserable as far as the everyday grind is concerned. But it doesn’t have to be. Instead of giving in to the trends and getting fat in front of the television, I challenge you to step out in the cold and learn to create a healthy Yang promoting routine that will bring balance. You see, in the season of Yin, if we give in too much to Yin and dont have enough Yang to balance us out, then Yin becomes dominant and we risk imbalance. Immune deficiency, poor digestion, lack of energy, headaches, insomnia, etc.
Thats why during these months, we need to promote Yang in order to keep it alive in the body. To be honest, the winter months are my favorite time for training. We push hard and get strong so that our immune systems can become that much more adaptable.
A couple years ago I created a FroZen Fitness concept for my High Park class in Toronto. I have an afro and I am into Zen so I thought the name was dope. I’ve been pushing it ever since.
During the winter months my outdoor classes thin out for all the obvious reasons. But I myself, once being a cynic, write this piece of lovely information in the hope of showing you more to what health actually means. It makes for a smooth transition into the Spring while everyone else is getting sick.
QiGong, Tai Chi and Xin Yi Liu He Quan (Six Combination Fist) all wrapped up under the umbrella of Kung Fu.
It’s awesome.
Here is the FroZen Fitness write up from back in the day.
Have a great week.
QB