Winter and exercise don’t always mix.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to exercise outside, you’re probably not a very big fan of winter. It’s cold, it’s slippery, you can’t run through grass, and you might get sick. It’s not fun. Still, there are some kinds of exercise you simply can’t do indoors, so if you absolutely have to exercise outside in the winter, here’s a few things to consider.
First, mind your body heat. The average temperature of a human body fluctuates during exercise and in the winter, so if you put both of those together, things are going to get weird. Wear clothes that breathe well and absorb moisture. If you get too sweaty while its cold, your body temperature will plummet, and you could get sick. Also consider wearing a couple of easily-shed layers if you feel too warm.
Make sure to keep your hands and feet properly insulated. If a cold is particularly bitter, you’ll lose circulation to your extremities, which is bad for a variety of reasons. Wear water-wicking gloves, socks, and shoes to keep slush and snow at bay. If it’s not raining or snowing, feel free to downgrade the gloves to something simply warm like wool.
Finally, no matter how cold it is, remember to hydrate. Just because you’re soggy on the outside doesn’t mean you’re hydrated on the inside. If ice-cold water doesn’t sound appealing to you in the winter, trying heating the water up beforehand, or adding some kind of flavoring to make it more appealing. Just don’t drink boiling water or you’ll sweat even harder.
