You can be tempted to reduce or delay your outdoor training sessions once the cold weather has settled in. Actually, you have no reason to do that! No matter what type of exercise you do – cardio, strength training, jogging, hiking, climbing or mountain biking - here are a few simple tricks that you can use in order to get maximum benefits without any risk involved (colds, viruses, slides, frostbites etc.).
Given these tips for carefree outdoor exercising in cold weather, you won’t need to limit yourself regarding the your working out environment.
1. Proper product choice
In cold weather, the equipment must be comfortable, waterproof, and keep your body warm (it should be made of insulating material).
Gloves are very important when temperatures are low – you don’t want your hands frozen! Running shoes should be particularly suited for snow, ice, high humidity, cold etc.
Protect your neck with a scarf so that you avoid cold air, wind or frostbites. But be careful: don’t cover your nose – keep your scarf only up to the chin to avoid inhaling the condensation (water drops).
Another great safety advice is wearing reflective clothing, as during the cold seasons, dark settles in earlier.
2. Always cover your head
An extremely valuable trick for those who exercise outdoors in cold weather is to always keep your head covered, so that you won’t waste a lot amount of your body heat.
3. Running in cold weather
Wind speed and direction should definitely not be ignored - at first, run against the wind and, as the body heats up and begins to sweat, switch direction. This way, the body temperature will remain constant and you won’t deal with varying temperatures - which are extremely unhealthy to the lungs.
4. Heating the inside is important in order to avoid injuries outside
Cold weather is somehow increasing the risk of getting injured. Therefore, it‘s very important to warm your body before and after working out. Keep your indoor environment heated. Also, this helps you avoid a bad pneumonia.
5. Your working out pace should be appropriate to the outside temperature
Although cold weather's refreshing and can give you the impression that you can do more exercise than in the hot, sunny weather, it’s important to maintain an average level of effort and to take frequent breaks in order to avoid overestimating your body's ability to work out at low temperatures.
6. Continuous hydration
Even if we might have the impression that we don’t sweat so much during the winter, hydration is very important throughout the entire year. For an increased level of safety, use an insulated water bottle.
7. Change wet clothing immediately
Once the training ends, the equipment must be replaced immediately with dry clothes even when we cannot shower immediately. As a consequence, body temperature drops suddenly under cold damp clothes.
With these precious tips and tricks, cold weather shouldn’t be an obstacle against making your workout routine more diverse and entertaining.
Medical Disclaimer
Check with your doctor or physician first! The information contained in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. All of our content, including images, graphics, text available in this article is for general information purposes only. Mava Sports makes no representations and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information available in this article, and such information is subject to change without notice. We encourage you to verify and confirm any information you obtained from this article with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your doctor and physician. Do not disregard any professional medical advice because of something you have read in or accessed through this article.
