Winter workout good for body and soul
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Feb 12/01) - It's not the most wonderful time of the year.
But for the dedicated gym-goers and active people of Nunavut, that doesn't stop them from getting a little exercise.
Jogging is hampered by the chilling cold that bites through even the heaviest clothes on a windy day. The parka and wind pants also tend to get in the way.
Biking? Not really conducive to the icy, snowy roads in the North, but there are certainly alternatives.
Outdoor activity seekers can be seen perched on a pair of cross-country skis in Nunavut or taking part in the more traditional examples of winter exercise -- lugging blocks of snow to make iglus or running a dog-team across the tundra.
Others choose to crawl into a humid, sweaty gym for a workout.
"You always hear the old story about the wife shrinking their pants," said Frobisher Racquet Club manager Steve Main. "I can joke around and tell them it's not the wife's fault, 'you're just getting fatter, buddy.'"
For Main, or more specifically for his business, this could be the most wonderful time of the year as more and more customers suit up in Spandex or similar attire and get busy on the courts and in the gym.
Firefighter Jeremy Hamburg pumps the weights three times per week and said more than dedication, for him it was an aggressive gym partner that got him to work.
"Up until about two months ago it was zero times a week," he said. "The person I work out with acts as a personal trainer and does not take no for an answer."
When daylight is lacking and the cold creeps in so does the fatigue, Hamburg said.
"(Exercise) tends to make you feel a bit more energetic," he added.
The trick to finding the elusive dedication it takes to stick to a routine for many is finding an activity one likes.
"It is not hard to get out if you enjoy what you are doing," Hamburg said. "It is fun when you see yourself getting stronger and being able to lift more weights."
