Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one exercise topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. This week, we are talking to those of you who are going to brave the cold weather. Hey, it’s winter out, but you still want to be working out outside. What things do you have to keep in mind to make sure you stay safe with your cold-weather workouts?
1) Bundle Up
Tip number one – make sure you bundle up. This is pretty straight forward, but you want to be looking for clothes that are not only warm, but also made with material that is sweat-wicking. This will help to make sure that as you sweat during your workouts, the sweat is absorbed off of your skin and you body will stay as warm as possible while outside.
Action Step: Almost all athletic clothing lines have a line of “cold gear”. Be sure to look for that type of athletic clothing when choosing what to wear when you workout outside.
Related: Tips For Working Out Indoors This Winter
2) Wear Proper Footwear
Tip number two – make sure to wear proper footwear. You may not want to wear only tennis shoes outside, especially if the ground is covered with snow. You may need to find a shoe that has a little bit more traction. If this kind of shoe is uncomfortable for your feet, you may want to reconsider working out outside during the super cold temperatures.
Action Step: Wearing shoes that have more traction or thicker ridges on the bottoms may be beneficial. You may want to consider wearing more of a hiking shoe if you will be running on snow, too.
Related: Working out outside? Stay safe with these tips!
3) Build Up Your Resilience To The Cold
Tip number three – make sure to build up your resilience to the cold. On the first freezing cold day, don’t plan on going outside and working out for an hour. Your body is not going to be used to the extreme temperatures yet. Go outside and do a brisk walk for 5 or 10 minutes to see how your body responds and then build from there.
Action Step: Progress your body to tolerating the cold just like you progress your body to tolerating your workouts. Don’t plan on doing a full workout outside on the first cold day. Ease into doing more challenging workouts in the colder temperatures and build up your tolerance to the cold workout by workout.