Running comes with a number of health benefits. It can improve your overall health by raising levels of good cholesterol, increasing lung capacity, boosting immunity, and more! Getting into the habit of running can also help you lose weight, boost your confidence and relieve stress. However, what happens when the seasons change and winter comes barreling in with cold temps and blustery winds? Winter running comes with challenges that, if you're not prepared, can derail your progress.
It can be difficult to stay motivated and keep up the same running habits in the winter. Even worse, spending 3-4 months in the gym on a treadmill, nobody wants to do that! Then the worst case scenario is giving up all together in the cold winter months.
What can you do to keep the same running regimen in the winter, and not sabotage the healthy habits you’ve established? To get the answers you need to keep you on the right track (pun intended) this winter, we asked the pros for their go-to winter running tips!
Here are 6 tips straight from the pros for running outside in the winter:
1) Feet Come First
Protecting your feet, keeping them warm and maintaining good circulation in the cold weather is where it all starts. According to professional runner and running coach, Leah Rosenfeld, wool socks are a must, “Wool socks are a game changer for running in the cold and for all winter activities,” said Rosenfeld. “I tend to have cold feet, so I’ll often walk around the house in calf-high furry boots instead of slippers and when I go outside for a frigid run I make sure to wear athletic wool socks. Wearing athletic-specific wool socks instead of regular wool ones will help prevent blisters, keep your feet warm throughout a run, aid in proper circulation, and mitigates the chance of your feet going numb and potentially stepping on rocks/uneven surfaces you can’t feel.”
2) Use Natural Body Heat To Your Advantage
Trapping in your natural body heat is a key element of staying warm on your winter runs. Rosenfeld recommends the Under Armour Charged Wool Running Shirt, though other long-sleeve wool performance shirts would also work. “A wool long-sleeve shirt wicks away sweat and also traps in the heat your body creates while running, so you stay dry and warm. I’ve found that wearing wool as a base layer is the most helpful, as well as tucking in the shirt to eliminate any draftiness while making a bold fashion statement.”
3) Mittens Aren't Just For Kids
Gloves or mittens? Mittens it is if you’re a serious outdoor, winter runner. Professional runner and 2014 USA Marathon Champion, Esther Atkins, recommends a pair of loose polar fleece mittens. “Nothing keeps cold hands warm like polar fleece mittens, and I don't know about you, but my hands HURT when they get cold. Mittens have been the key to happy runs through my coldest winters.”
Mittens: although another fashion-faux pas while on a training run, they work wonders on keeping my hands warm. Again, my extremities seem to lack circulation, so the warmer I keep my hands and fingers on a run the more pleasant the training session is. Lobster hands are in folks, gloves just won’t cut it!
4) Fuel Your Body
Giving your body the fuel it needs is another tip to power your winter running program. While you might think warm gear is all you need, the proper fuel for your body gives you the extra energy and recovery that you need throughout the cold winter months.
Rosenfeld’s go-to is the Nourify PLUS Chocolate Vegan Protein Shake. “In addition to warm winter gear and vitamins, quality fuel is what gets me through cold winter training. Especially if that fuel is hot…and chocolate! I am currently experimenting with a Previnex Chocolate Protein Powder recipe for hot cocoa with almond and coconut milk! Just the thought of hot chocolate induced recovery during a cold run is enough to make me sweat.”
5) Half The Battle Is Showing Up
Cold weather and darker mornings can make it difficult to find the motivation to get out of bed and get on your morning run. For years Atkins has relied on a Phillips Dawn Simulator Alarm Clock. “This sounds weird, but one of the biggest keys to happy winters for me has been a Phillips Dawn Simulator Alarm Clock that I have relied on ever since I found my first one back in 2009. I have never been a morning person, and I have always been seasonally affected. This is the only thing I have found that actually makes waking up in the dark more pleasant. Luckily my husband loves it, too!
6) Boost Your Immune System
Nothing sabotages your winter training, and just makes life in the winter more unbearable, than a winter cold. Keeping your immune system running like a well-oiled machine will keep your winter training in high gear, and help you stay out of the doctor’s office.
For Atkins, a must are her pharmaceutical grade vitamins. “I have to make sure that I cover my increased Vitamin D needs and keep my immune system strong. So I take Previnex's Multi-Vitamin, Mineral and Antioxidant PLUS and Omega Pure PLUS supplements!”
According to Rosenfeld, a good quality multi vitamin before running in the cold is a must-have to keep her immune system humming and her body from breaking down. “Running in the cold is a double-whammy on the immune system and tissue break-down. It’s plain and simple, your body is working hard. So, I take two Previnex Multi Vitamin pills an hour before running to protect my cells throughout the run and afterwards. The antioxidants noticeably speed up my recovery, along with immunity-boosting vitamins and minerals.”
