Running in the cold does not feel the same as running outside on a beautiful day. Even the most avid runners could find themselves tested by plummeting temperatures, something that has caused people across the country to shut themselves in their homes this week. If you hope to brave these low temperatures, then you could do worse than consulting the tips included in a new report.
Much of the advice focuses on the gear that can be worn to make your jaunt more pleasant, and if you’re starting from the ground up, you’ll want to focus first on footwear. In the winter, you want a pair of shoes that is not only comfortable but that will keep moisture away from your feet if you know that you’re going to trudge through melted snow. You will want to make sure the tread is sufficient to preventing the type of slipping that becomes all too common on winter trails.
The report advises investing in a couple of pairs of running shoes that you can alternate from day to day. Where this helps is in the way that cold and wetness affect a shoe. Too much training in a frigid, wet environment can lead your otherwise cushy soles to become stiff, posing an increased injury hazard to your feet, which will now be forced to cope with a heightened impact that may not otherwise be apparent during the summer.
You can’t get away with running shorts during the winter, and a pair of jeans shouldn’t suffice for a workout. That means that you’ll have to look into the possibility of wearing a pair of tights. When you wear these as opposed to a pair of baggy pants, you won’t feel like you’re dragging your feet across the ground, and if a study cited in the report is to be believed, your circulation will benefit with this clothing item.
You’re basically trying to protect your body from any excuse you may have to give up on a run. Use a jacket, gloves, and hat to keep the cold at bay. If you don’t, you’ll really start to feel the chill once you work up a sweat, and without the proper clothing to soak up moisture and protect your body from the dangerous temperatures, you will get cold quick. This can cause an injury or at the very least compromise the passion you might have for the activity.
Finally, realize that there are always going to be ways to escape running outdoors. It’s perfectly acceptable to take rest days or to move your workout indoors to a treadmill at the gym. In doing, you avoid entirely those circumstances that could contribute to a cold-weather running injury.