Image by: Suzanne Pekow

Christopher Wright walks outside in Minneapolis on some of the coldest days of the year.

How to Endure Winter

From: Suzanne Pekow
Length: 04:46

A winter-phobic learns to enjoy outdoor activities in one of the country's coldest climates. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: How to Endure Winter
From: Suzanne Pekow

Img_2241_small I decided to go on a little quest to try to find people who could teach me how to not just endure, but enjoy bein active outside in the winter. Minnesota can get downright nasty for several months of the year, and I wanted to know how to avoid the urge to hibernate during the entire season. I met up with some very cheerful outdoor enthusiasts and a specialist on "non-exercise activity thermogenesis" (NEAT) at the Mayo Clinic, who all teach me that the key to being active in the winter is to ... be active in the winter.

Piece Description

I decided to go on a little quest to try to find people who could teach me how to not just endure, but enjoy bein active outside in the winter. Minnesota can get downright nasty for several months of the year, and I wanted to know how to avoid the urge to hibernate during the entire season. I met up with some very cheerful outdoor enthusiasts and a specialist on "non-exercise activity thermogenesis" (NEAT) at the Mayo Clinic, who all teach me that the key to being active in the winter is to ... be active in the winter.

Transcript

(TV Winter Weather Forecast Montage)

Kind of makes you want to hibernate, doesn’t it? … Me, too. Every year about this time, I start to dream about warmer climates … you know, places where “wind chill” is not in the vocabulary…

But I’m in here, in Minnesota and I’m determined to find a way to enjoy winter. Because it can last a very long time.

So I decided track down some of those chipper folks who actually enjoy being outside on some of the coldest days of the year.

Christopher Wright: My name is Christopher Wright. I’m from Minneapolis. Right now we’re walking around Lake of the Isles.

It’s about eight degrees when I join Chris on his daily walk… and every so often the wind whips around to bring frozen tears that make my cheeks numb . Chris doesn’t seem to notice. He’s 70 and strong. He’s not wearing any hi-tech sports gear, but he’s dressed warmly in ordinary trousers and seve...
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