It’s been a while but finally the cold has arrived. Until a few days ago we were still doing outdoor activities with spring thermometers, short sleeves and more hours of light. Now, with the drop in temperatures, you feel like anything except putting on some sneakers to go running in the dark and it becomes a sample of willpower titanic outdoor sports practice with temperatures close to zero degrees. Every effort has its reward, they say, and exercising in winter was not going to be less. The cold produces in our body a series of responses when we train that are really beneficial.
Among the multiple benefits that physical exercise in the open air provides in winter, there are, for example, Increased blood pressure and the heart capacitythe reinforcement of immune systemthe rise of vitamin D and the mood improvement. Basically, by having to raise the body temperature more since the starting temperature is lower, the body has to adapt, and in doing so, it generates more blood pressure that induces a higher energy expenditure in order to generate body heat. In short, and simplifying a lot, training in the cold burns more calories. Sounds good right?
We have to put some nuances to the previous statement to make it completely true, and above all safe. In this case, the end does not justify the means and if it is not done correctly, the cold could end. ruining the session of training. Several points must be taken into account before taking to the streets to run. dress appropriately It is one of them. So that exercising in winter is not the prelude to a strong constipated or flu, it will be necessary to wrap up consciously since we will not lose the benefits of the “cold effect” for this reason. More and more brands offer technical products Specifically designed to protect us from the cold without subtracting an iota of comfort when doing sports outdoors.
Appropriate equipment
A good one thermal shirt and thermal fabric leggings are a good starting point, but beyond the basics, we must not neglect other crucial items such as gloves, hats and neck gaiter which we colloquially know as ‘buffs’ for the well-known Catalan brand, which offers a wide range of neck gaiter, hats and headbands specifically designed to withstand low temperatures during sports practice. The head, hands and feet They are three of the areas through which we lose the most heat when it is cold and that should not be neglected.
On the other hand, the windbreakers or softshell jackets Designed for sports, they are usually breathable or waterproof depending on the climate in which the session will take place and they usually incorporate reflective elements that will increase visibility of the corridor at a time with much fewer daylight hours. Despite the importance of going out warm, abusing clothes causes extra sweating, which will end up causing the opposite effect and the body will have to compensate for the loss of heat with a overexertion so it is preferable to dress in layers and remove them in case they start to be left over.
Specific heating
Once equipped as it should, it is the turn of one of the moments that will mark and determine the quality and safety of subsequent training and to which we rarely pay the attention it deserves: the heating.
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With low temperatures, elasticity and flexibility suffer, and joints tend to suffer more and develop injuries. In this way, it is interesting to reserve between 10 and 15 minutes before training to carry out a specific warm-up and thus allow the body to warm up and the joints and muscles do not suffer. Also, with the cold breaks It is recommended that they not be excessively long between series or blocks, since it could become counterproductive when the body cools down too much and we get sweaty from the cold.
In the case of going for a run, for example, it would be your thing to do ankle, knee and hip mobility exercises, as well as some exercise with body weight shortly before starting to jog. Some squats or ballistic movements with the legs to warm up are good options as well as gentle stretching and general mobilization of the body parts that we will involve later.