What to workout in outdoors in winter: 8 things for those who don’t take a break because of the weather

Sportmaster PRO expert

“Sport and winter are… in a strange relationship. To reduce the likelihood of catching a cold in the cold season, you need to continue training. At the same time, sports activities themselves can cause hypothermia and colds. But only if you do not prepare for them properly. So how do you choose clothes for outdoor training in winter?”

What are the benefits of exercising in winter?

Any outdoor exercise is good for the body. But only if they are done at moderate temperatures and are limited in time, and if the equipment is appropriate for the weather. When it’s cold outside, it’s important to listen to your body and watch for signs of hypothermia so you don’t catch a cold.

The benefits of winter vorkout can be described by three main advantages.

• First, the body hardens and becomes less susceptible to various colds.

• Secondly, discipline and willpower are trained.
• Thirdly, by continuing training in winter, the athlete avoids a long break in training. So the body remains in tone, and the level of physical fitness – at the same level.

How to prepare for training?

Before going outdoors, it is important to decide what exactly you plan to do, what the training will be aimed at, as well as – with the intensity and duration. In addition, it is important to consider the weather.
These factors will determine, for example, the duration of the warm-up. As a rule, it is performed at home, so that the body gets to the street already prepared.

In addition, the type and format of training directly affects the necessary equipment.

Demix men’s thermal underwear: top – 1499 rubles, bottom – 1499 rubles.

How to choose clothes?

For winter sports, there is a universal rule in the choice of clothing – the use of multiple layers. This is a basic principle. Usually a set of clothes consists of three layers.

1. thermal underwear made of synthetic fabrics fits tightly to the body, provides thermoregulation, and also wicks sweat away from the skin to prevent hypothermia.

Level TROY fleece jacket (middle layer), 7370 rubles / Trial-Sport

2. A fleece or softshell sweatshirt. This is the middle layer responsible for keeping you warm. It is also better to choose clothes made of synthetic fabrics for this role. It dries faster and warms better.

3. A windbreaker (sometimes with a little insulation) or a membrane jacket is needed for protection from wind and precipitation.

The lower part of the body can be covered with insulated sports pants or a set of thermal underwear and joggers or tights.

Men’s Tights (with light fleece) Demix, 1649 rubles.

Your choice of clothing depends on the nature and duration of your workout. For low-intensity and medium duration, a set of thermal underwear, a fleece sweatshirt and a windbreaker will do. For high-intensity interval training, it’s better to replace the fleece sweatshirt with a softshell jacket: the material allows better vapor transmission and prevents your body from getting too cold during the break between approaches.

Men’s Salomon Bonatti Windbreaker, 20,999 rubles / Sportmaster

What other clothes do you need?

One of the most important accessories for winter training is a sports hat or buff. It is better to give preference to synthetic or semi-synthetic versions. As mentioned earlier, they are better at wicking away sweat and dry faster.

In addition, gloves will not be superfluous. In general, the most ordinary ones will do. But if you plan to work out on outdoor exercise machines, bars and tourniquets, you can choose ski gloves. They have additional suede or silicone overlays that will not slip or, on the contrary, stick to the metal.

VIKING Horten Gloves Black, 3290 rubles / KANT

In addition, it is important to take care of the warmth of your feet. For winter training, shoes with an aggressive tread pattern are best suited: they are less slippery. The sole itself can be made of different materials, but it should be remembered that rubber in severe frost hardens and amortizes worse. As an upper material it is better to choose Gore-Tex membrane, which is resistant to snow and slush, but allows to remove excess sweat and heat from the foot.

Columbia Fast Trek Hat, 499 rubles.

A thermos or a thermos mug with warm tea is never a waste of additional accessories. It is desirable not to pour too hot beverage into it: when it enters your body it will disturb thermoregulation. A temperature of 60-70℃ is enough to warm you up between approaches.

PUMA Voyage Nitro 3 GTX men’s sneakers, 9999 rubles / Sportmaster

If you feel the first signs of hypothermia or a cold, it is better to finish training and take urgent preventive measures. Hot tea with lemon and honey, antiviral drugs, a warm bath – all this will help you avoid illness.