Warming up to Winter Running
It's not for everyone, but if you're a die-hard jogger and living in a northern area like Toronto, Canada, the colder temperatures and first snowfall probably won't hold you back from your outdoor workout. To avoid an emergency visit to your physiotherapy clinic, ensure you prep your body to endure the colder weather and adjust your running programme. Also, practice some chilly weather conditions running safety precautions to remain injury-free through to the spring.
The right attire. Remember that you're going to be roughly 20 degrees warmer when running in contrast to standing still. Usually dressing for that estimated warmer temperature will work fine. Up to 25% or more of your body heat may be lost from your head, so wearing a hat is critical.
Wool tube hats are perfect for the chilly temperatures. Gloves are an absolute must. Keeping your body as dry as practical will permit your clothing to act as a better insulator and keep you more comfortable. The inner layer should be a man-made wickable fiber such as coolmax, thermax or other synthetic.
Moderate distance over speed. Colder temperatures are more conducive to moderate distance runs instead of speed work. While endurance running is possible in the cold, speed work isn't a smart idea for a number of reasons: As your physiotherapist will tell you, your muscles must be warmed adequately before the more intense contractions of speed work. It isn't as straightforward to do that in cold and very cold and the ambient temperature will keep bringing down the skin temperature.
Wearing bulky coverings isn't something that makes you feel like doing speed work and these layers create restrictions to free movement.
The good news is you can still leave your comfort zone and probably reach your lactate threshold without much of a difficulty for some intense medium distance runs.
The right attire. Remember that you're going to be roughly 20 degrees warmer when running in contrast to standing still. Usually dressing for that estimated warmer temperature will work fine. Up to 25% or more of your body heat may be lost from your head, so wearing a hat is critical.
Wool tube hats are perfect for the chilly temperatures. Gloves are an absolute must. Keeping your body as dry as practical will permit your clothing to act as a better insulator and keep you more comfortable. The inner layer should be a man-made wickable fiber such as coolmax, thermax or other synthetic.
Moderate distance over speed. Colder temperatures are more conducive to moderate distance runs instead of speed work. While endurance running is possible in the cold, speed work isn't a smart idea for a number of reasons: As your physiotherapist will tell you, your muscles must be warmed adequately before the more intense contractions of speed work. It isn't as straightforward to do that in cold and very cold and the ambient temperature will keep bringing down the skin temperature.
Wearing bulky coverings isn't something that makes you feel like doing speed work and these layers create restrictions to free movement.
The good news is you can still leave your comfort zone and probably reach your lactate threshold without much of a difficulty for some intense medium distance runs.
About the Author:
Learn more about physiotherapy and other physical therapy treatments by going to the MedRehab Group internet site.