
Even if you have experience running, exercising at very low temperatures can pose new challenges. Practicing outdoor sports during the cold season is beneficial for health, as long as it is done with adequate protection, especially the head, mouth and neck.
Outdoor sport generates a significant amount of endorphins, decreases the risk of suffering depression and increases the feeling of well-being.
Before starting to exercise especially in winter you have to take some simple precautions, such as choosing the right clothes (they are not recommended for cotton since it keeps moisture and can cause cooling in the back and lungs) and know your limits, this can guarantee many miles to your sports throughout the year.
Tips:
1.- Stay Hydrated
You have to take water when you’re going to run in the hottest months, but when it’s cold, you may not realize you’re getting dehydrated until it’s too late. When you exercise on a cold day, you do not seem to sweat as much as in the hot months. It is easy to become dehydrated in winter because we do not realize that we are losing the same amount of water
2.- Appropriate clothing
Cover as many body parts as you can, but choose appropriate fabrics that allow moisture to perspire to prevent the body from overheating. And do not forget the gloves.
3.- Look well where you step
One of the biggest dangers of running in winter is falling, you can lose your balance and have an accident when the roads are slippery by the ice or when the snow hides the roots of the trees or a drop in the ground.
The key is to pay close attention to the place where you support your feet. Most of the times, a fall is caused by running in winter very fast without paying attention or making a turn so braking to stop almost completely before taking very sharp curves or make a change of direction in winter.
4.- Try not to run alone
Stay with a friend to run. Thus, not only will you be more secure, but there will also be someone to whom you will have to give an account if you do not fulfill your sporting purposes. Apart in winter the hours of light are scarce and drivers have it more difficult to see and dodge runners so it is recommended to wear reflective garments and you should try to let someone know where you are going to go for a run, just in case you lose or you need help.
5.- It starts little by little and then sees progress
Even if you have experience running, exercising at very low temperatures can pose new challenges, so start slowly improving your endurance. In winter, the distance must be increased carefully.
Start with a mile and a half at a gentle pace. You have to let your body acclimate to cold air, especially the lungs and even the muscles of the face and jaw.