Running is a great way to keep fit without having to invest in a gym membership and can be carried out whenever is convenient for you, which is why it is such a popular exercise. Although going for a run seems super inviting in the spring and summer months, it may seem less appealing in the autumn and winter as the temperature drops and the terrain changes and becomes unpredictable.
If you wish to keep at your running routine all year round, then this article is for you. Within this post we are going to discuss a few handy tips and tricks to help you get through the winter and keep up with your running routine safely. So, if you want to find out more about how you can adapt things such as your clothing and routes to accommodate for the cold weather, then keep on reading.
Wear Suitable Clothing
Your regular running gear may consist of a t-shirt or vest which is paired with shorts or cropped leggings. However, for the winter months you would need to think about layering your clothing or investing in warmer options. You could for example wear your vest or t-shirt underneath a long-sleeved top or wear your shorts over a pair of thicker leggings to improve the heat retention.
The main thing to think about when it comes to your clothing choices are that if they are going to keep you full covered to prevent chill and retain the heat to keep you warm. Along with this, most sportswear items contain a moisture wicking technology to ensure that any sweat produced when wearing your winter running gear is transported away and absorbed to prevent any discomfort and overheating feeling within the clothing.
Staying Vigilant and Being Visible
In the winter months the visibility will be reduced especially when choosing to run in the mornings. Therefore, you would need to make sure that you are both vigilant and visible. This would mean that you would need to invest in sportswear which contains high-vis elements or purchase Velcro panels to attach to your clothing. It is very important that other road users can see you when the visibility is limited as to ensure that you have a safe run. You would also need to ensure that you are able to see the cars and other road users clearly too when crossing the roads and such.
Another way you would need to be vigilant is when paying attention to the weather and change in terrain underfoot as to avoid injury. You may want to start your run off early, but in the mornings there would most likely be frost or black ice underfoot on the paths so you would need to have a look outside and assess the running conditions before committing to going outdoors.
Winter Accessories to Keep Warm
And finally, when you are running outdoors in the colder weather you would need to ensure that you have the right accessories to help keep you warm. Not only would you need high-vis clothing with a brushed lining and moisture wicking technology to keep you warm and comfortable, but you also need to think about your accessories too.
To ensure that your hands remain warm throughout the run you could invest in a pair of gloves which are soft to wear and keep the heat in. You can also look into buying gloves which have touch screen capability so that you can easily use your phone to adjust your music playlist on your phone if needs be.
You can also purchase a hat to help keep your head warm in the winter and the top of your ears. Or alternatively you could look into buying a headband which wraps around your head and covers your ears if a hat is not something you like to wear while running.
When the sky is bright white and the floor is covered in a white frost, the outdoors may be too harsh on your eyes while running so you may want to purchase a pair of specially designed winter glasses to reduce the strain and glare from the bright outdoors.
What Are Your Winter Running Tips?
Within this article we have looked into a variety of tips to get you through your winter run. However, we want to know if you have any thoughts on these, or if you have your own tips which we have not included. Let us know these over on our social media pages today! You can also shop our vast range of running clothing and accessories over on our online store – Sports Fitness where you can kit yourself out ready for your next run.
This article was written exclusively for Sports Fitness by Loren Astbury
