“Once you start sweating, you have to take your clothes off.” Why people run around naked in freezing temperatures

Frostrunning is a type of hardening running. It combines the advantages of running and hardening and leads to the development of not only physical, but also adaptive system of the body. The fundamental difference from hardening running is the sporting element of “faster, higher, stronger”. In freestrunning, as in any sport, people explore the limits of their abilities, compete. In the second case, people are trying to improve their health – and there is no competitive element.

How does training work?

A standard training session is divided into several stages. Before jogging you need to warm up. Then, actually undress (you can start with one layer of clothing) – and run the planned distance. The goal is to finish the training with a minimum of clothes (you can’t run for a long time in -30 without a top). Last year Vyacheslav set his personal record by running 150 minutes at -17 without a top.

But you don’t have to do that – when it gets cold, you can get dressed and warm up, and then start running again. The main principles are caution, gradualness and regularity. A mistake can be very expensive. You have to look at the weather and your condition. Some people, for example, strip because their clothes get wet from sweat. One of the followers of frostrunning started practicing running in the cold.

marathoner, frostrunner

When running in the outfit, it was getting hot, I was sweating, and my clothes were getting wet. After a while in the cold, the clothes would start to freeze and crust over with ice. And then I realized that as soon as you start sweating, you should take off your clothes. That’s what I did: I took off my clothes and ran, my body was hot and there was frost all around. The sensations are inexpressible, the mood is super. I froze, got dressed, and my clothes were dry and warm. When you run naked in the frost, you feel a strong unity with nature, a burst of energy and strength. It seems as if I and nature are one and the same.

What’s the benefit?

The idea of undressing in the cold, and even run towards the frosty air seems, at first glance, strange. But adherents of such running say that the benefits of the exercise are obvious. It is clear that it is not a panacea, but at least it strengthens the immune system and improves the quality of life. It is known that cold also accelerates metabolism. After all, weight loss is promoted not only by the internal, but also by the external environment. In comfort and warmth, the body relaxes and the rate of fat accumulation in the body increases. Lower temperatures, on the contrary, help fight fat, so exercising in the cold burns more calories. This is confirmed by scientists – according to them, you can burn 30% more calories than usual for a few hours in a cool room.

What do beginners need to know?

Vyacheslav: You should dress so that you don’t sweat. If you start sweating, take off a layer of clothing. This is the first thing. I always take with me a backpack with a down jacket (I run outside the city). When you’re freestrunning, you have to assume that you can get injured – and you’ll have to get to people on your own. So take warm clothes. That’s the second rule. And the third I will formulate as follows: run with a partner. Safety in winter is very important.

Vyacheslav is sure that anyone can try himself in freestrunning. There are no contraindications, but you need to be careful. After all, running in the cold is a stress for the body, and it is important to be gradual. Physical data and state of health should also be taken into account. If there are any chronic diseases in the exacerbation stage, injuries, recovery period, pregnancy or other restrictions, it is better to wait with frostrunning. If you really want to, you can always ask a doctor for advice.