[ArcheM]

Half of the reason to walk is sun exposure. Well, there is no sun, none at all, it's overcast all day, since October, I think.

The sidewalks are covered with snow and dirt. Snow is not so bad, but the dirt is both heavy and slippery, and I hate walking on it.

My winter jacket is too hot and I constantly sweat in it. And my autumn jacket, if it's not yet too cold, is soon going to be.

And last but not least, my new boots are apparently starting to chafe. Maybe it has to do with being hot in general.

Better sit at home and gobble vitamin supplements instead?

Oh, not to mention, the podcasts that used to motivate me during the summer somehow have gotten downright tedious. And rocking music doesn't help because it's impossible to walk with a spring in your step in this weather.

[Skeezyks]

Thanks for sharing this. It's becoming winter where I live too, although recently we've been having quite a mild stretch & we have no snow as of yet. (Temperatures are forecasted to turn markedly colder next week.)

We have a small dog and we live in a townhome in a large metropolitan area. And thus we have no yard. So we take him for a couple of walks a day, every day, regardless of the weather. Sun, heat, rain, snow, ice, frigid temperatures... it doesn't matter... we're out there. So, anyway, I can relate to what you wrote here. I said to my wife yesterday... I don't know what I'm going to do when it gets to be winter. I'm already all bundled up & the weather has been unseasonably mild recently.

Our dog is getting a bit on in years now. And chances are we're not going to have him many more seasons. I'm pretty certain I won't have anywhere near the motivation to get out there & walk once he's gone. However I also currently do some yoga. So when I'm not needing to get out there & walk the dog anymore, I guess I'll just have to do more yoga!

I feel your pain, Archie, which is why I transition from walking outside during the summer and fall months, to walking inside my local community center (it has an indoor track) during the cold winter months. If you don't have a community center with an indoor track nearby your home, you can always walk the shopping malls near you. Those usually have a circumference of 2-3 miles around. Lots of people do that for exercise -- if you notice groups of elderly people walking together in shopping malls, exercise is why they're doing it.

Buy yourself a sun lamp off of Amazon. For SADD. You sit in front of one for 30 minutes a day all winter long your body will absorb the Vit D and your mood will improve until summertime. Many people do that also, as a way to cope with the cold dark winter months.

Also, change your nutrition to the season. During winter months, eat more Vit D and Vit K and A foods and protein (meat or veggie). You'll notice that you will feel SO much better.

[ArcheM]

The problem is getting to a mall in my car-less Russian reality. Of course, Russians do drive cars, but the abundance of public transportation used to be sufficient when I didn't care about my health. I mean, my walk is to a supermarket a couple miles away, I'm too cheap to pay for a bus for such a short distance.

On the topic of lamps, I have a lamp that I use to keep the grass for my cat moderately alive. Which means it's really not enough for us both. But I've had an idea for a while to get a terrarium with hopefully better light and also to access a bit of summer from home. I'm just not sure I can afford it.

There are many free workout routines available on Youtube that you can do in the comfort of your own home, including many walking routines!

A couple of good channels dedicated to primarily walking workouts are Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home, and jessicasmithtv. Please don't allow the winter weather to stop you from being physically active. Exercise is so good for the mind and body.

Originally Posted by ArcheM

The problem is getting to a mall in my car-less Russian reality. Of course, Russians do drive cars, but the abundance of public transportation used to be sufficient when I didn't care about my health. I mean, my walk is to a supermarket a couple miles away, I'm too cheap to pay for a bus for such a short distance.

On the topic of lamps, I have a lamp that I use to keep the grass for my cat moderately alive. Which means it's really not enough for us both. But I've had an idea for a while to get a terrarium with hopefully better light and also to access a bit of summer from home. I'm just not sure I can afford it.

Can you afford a gym membership? If you can, then I would suggest you invest your money into a gym membership. Gyms have indoor tracks and treadmills. Or, you can always buy a used treadmill off the internet, if you have the space in your home for one. And then set it in front of your tv during the winter and walk to your heart's content.

The sun lamps you can buy used on Amazon are fairly cheap. But you have to buy the right kind of sun lamp.

I found this blog about terrarium lighting that you may find helpful too, if the options of a gym membership or treadmill or SADD lamp aren't an option for you.

[ArcheM]

Neither money nor space, and really the problem with the terrarium idea is buying off the Internet. Well, first, I wouldn't actually know what the terrarium is like or how it fits until it arrives, and second, I'd have to rely entirely on my googling skills to set it up correctly. I find this arrangement far from ideal... Just 10 years ago you could go and look and touch and talk in half a dozen stores around here, but everything's dried up.

But it's a better option than gym monetarily, and especially since one of the things I miss the most from the summer is the smell of fresh vegetation... or really any smell besides cars and dirt.

Originally Posted by ArcheM

Neither money nor space, and really the problem with the terrarium idea is buying off the Internet. Well, first, I wouldn't actually know what the terrarium is like or how it fits until it arrives, and second, I'd have to rely entirely on my googling skills to set it up correctly. I find this arrangement far from ideal... Just 10 years ago you could go and look and touch and talk in half a dozen stores around here, but everything's dried up.

But it's a better option than gym monetarily, and especially since one of the things I miss the most from the summer is the smell of fresh vegetation... or really any smell besides cars and dirt.

There may be "walking clubs" you could join via Meetup in your city, or create one yourself, and invite people to join you a few times a week for indoor 30 minute walks. Great way to socialize and get exercise. You could meet at museums, large public buildings (court house, etc.) with your group and walk for 30 minutes around the building's perimeter then go out and socialize after? Just a brainstorm idea.

I can't afford a gym membership either, and my apartment is small too, so know what you mean about lack of space for a treadmill or terrarium (but you can measure the space you want to put the terrarium first, then search online for terrariums that come in pieces, that would fit your space's measurements. Time consuming, but worth it.

I pay $1 each time I use the community center's indoor walking/running track. And if that wasn't my closest geographical option to where I live, I'd probably hit the mall on the weekends and walk for 30 minutes or so, and then go see a movie afterward.

Oh! I just thought of another place you can go for free to beat the winter doldrums. I know you live in Russia, but doesn't your city have an indoor Conservatory full of trees and plants that's open to the public? It's usually warm inside those kind of places, and spacious enough where you could get in a good walk (although at a much slower pace with the crowd of people).

Hope you can find a solution to your problem!