How to make your outdoor winter workout safer and more enjoyable

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How to dress and practice correctly in the cold season so as not to get sick.

Why train outside when it's cold

Increased productivity

Cold promotes the development of aerobic structures in the muscles. This increases the running speed and the efficiency of oxygen utilization.

Immunity rises

Due to hypothermia in the body, the secretion of cortisol increases and immunity decreases, which makes you more susceptible to infections and viruses. However, you can get used to the cold and endure it without negative consequences.

A Japanese study in mice has shown that exercising in the cold suppresses the production of corticosterone (an analogue of cortisol in humans) in response to cold stress. During training, the body hardens and reacts less to hypothermia. Once you get used to exercising in the cold, you will stop catching colds often in winter.

Increased Calorie Waste and Fat Burning

Cold increases the amount of brown fat, a special type of adipose tissue that uses calories to heat the body. A 2014 study found that regularly sleeping in a cold room (19 ° C) for a month increased the volume of brown fat cells by 42% and their metabolic activity by 10%.

Another study showed that staying two hours a day at 10 ° C increased the activity of brown fat by 45%. In addition, scientists have documented increased glucose intake. Thus, exercising in the cold will increase your calorie expenditure and lose weight faster.

However, it should be noted that cold increases calorie expenditure only at low exercise intensity, and when your body warms up, it stops spending extra energy on thermogenesis. Thus, you will spend more calories, for example, while walking to a training site and doing warm-up exercises.

Winter training can be really useful and effective, but to make it enjoyable and safe, follow a few rules.

7 rules of winter training

Dress properly

For training in cold conditions, several layers of synthetic clothing should be worn. Cotton will not work, as it will get wet with sweat while jogging, it will dry for a long time and cool the body.

Examples of suitable clothing depending on temperature:

• From 5 to –1 ° С - long-sleeved T-shirt made of synthetic material, tights, fleece jacket. If it's windy and precipitous, you can wear a light windbreaker instead of fleece.
• From –1 to –5 ° С - long-sleeved T-shirt, warm or regular tights, trousers, fleece jacket and light jacket. You can replace the first layer with a set of thermal underwear.
• Below –6 ° С - first layer: long-sleeved T-shirt and tights; second layer: fleece jacket and pants; third layer: light jacket. The first layer can be replaced with regular (from 2,500 rubles) or compression (from 17,000 rubles) thermal underwear.

When it comes to footwear, choose a winter trainer with good tread and a Gore-Tex upper that will keep your feet dry, even if you're running in the snow.

Also, for comfortable and safe jogging, you will definitely need:

• Lightweight synthetic hat that wicks away sweat.
• Seamless socks. Runners often wear long compression socks to warm up the calf muscles and protect the ankle from injury.
• Gloves. Lightweight fleece gloves keep cold air out and keep your palms dry. For cycling and exercising on a horizontal bar, gloves with non-slip pads on the palms are needed.
• Handkerchief. Even in absolutely healthy people, during a run in the cold, it starts to run from the nose. Therefore, grab a handkerchief - it will come in handy.

Warm up well

In cold weather, it is more difficult to warm up the muscles. Warm up especially thoroughly to avoid injury and discomfort. Best of all - before going outside.

Spend 5-10 minutes on joint warm-up and dynamic stretching, do some exercises: running in place, Jumping Jacks, air squats, jumping.

Choose your route carefully

It is advisable to choose a route in advance and check it for slippery areas and windy places. This is especially important if you will be running in the dark. It is undesirable to run, and even more so to walk on a windy area at the end of a workout - the wind quickly takes heat away, you can easily catch a cold.

Practice while it's light

In winter, it is better to train during the day - the air temperature is warmer, you don't have to run in the dark. If you can't find time when it's light, buy clothes with reflectors so you can be seen in the dark.

Start gradually

You shouldn't start long workouts right away. Let your body get used to being active in the cold. Start with 10 minutes and gradually work up to 40–45 minutes.

Do not overdo it

Winter is not good for interval training and speed development. During training, try to breathe through your nose, if you start to choke, slow down. Also, keep in mind that your body has to work much harder to stay warm.

The UK Heart Foundation reminds you that in cold weather, your heart has to work hard to keep your body warm, so your heart rate and blood pressure can rise even at rest.

If you have heart problems, it is better to move your workouts to a warm gym.

End warm

Calculate the route in such a way that it ends right outside your house and you can immediately get into the warmth, change wet clothes and do a good stretch.